Preliminary study on 3D-printed NR latex in fluid media

Natural rubber (NR) is extensively used in many applications. Although NR has been successfully processed using molding techniques, the production costs are still high due to machine and mold manufacturing. Moreover, it is not easy to form a complex structure. Recently, 3-dimensional (3D) printing has become a key technique for shaping complex products with no mold. Consequently, it has led to more inexpensive equipment and various alternative materials. Among the 3D printing materials, there is little published data on NR manufacturing. Therefore, 3D printing of rubber latex was proposed, and the vulcanizing procedure was also investigated. To avoid a support structure in traditional printing, filling latex in several media was introduced. The observation was made that a supporting mixture including Carbopol™ and a vulcanizing agent showed formability of NR latex. The extrudate shape depended on the nozzle size, flow rate, and printing speed. Strength characterization of filament obtained from different curing methods showed insignificant differences.