Addressing the profound impact of Tapping Panel Dryness (TPD) on yield and quality in the global rubber industry, this study introduces a cutting-edge Otsu threshold segmentation technique, enhanced ...by Dung Beetle Optimization (DBO-Otsu). This innovative approach optimizes the segmentation threshold combination by accelerating convergence and diversifying search methodologies. Following initial segmentation, TPD severity levels are meticulously assessed using morphological characteristics, enabling precise determination of optimal thresholds for final segmentation. The efficacy of DBO-Otsu is rigorously evaluated against mainstream benchmarks like Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR), Structural Similarity Index (SSIM), and Feature Similarity Index (FSIM), and compared with six contemporary swarm intelligence algorithms. The findings reveal that DBO-Otsu substantially surpasses its counterparts in image segmentation quality and processing speed. Further empirical analysis on a dataset comprising TPD cases from level 1 to 5 underscores the algorithm's practical utility, achieving an impressive 80% accuracy in severity level identification and underscoring its potential for TPD image segmentation and recognition tasks.
Rubber is an essential part of our daily lives with thousands of rubber-based products being made and used. Natural rubber undergoes chemical processes and structural modifications, while synthetic ...rubber, mainly synthetized from petroleum by-products are difficult to degrade safely and sustainably. The most prominent group of biological rubber degraders are Actinobacteria. Rubber degrading Actinobacteria contain rubber degrading genes or rubber oxygenase known as latex clearing protein (lcp). Rubber is a polymer consisting of isoprene, each containing one double bond. The degradation of rubber first takes place when lcp enzyme cleaves the isoprene double bond, breaking them down into the sole carbon and energy source to be utilized by the bacteria. Actinobacteria grow in diverse environments, and lcp gene containing strains have been detected from various sources including soil, water, human, animal, and plant samples. This review entails the occurrence, physiology, biochemistry, and molecular characteristics of Actinobacteria with respect to its rubber degrading ability, and discusses possible technological applications based on the activity of Actinobacteria for treating rubber waste in a more environmentally responsible manner.
This study used a two-step system generalized method of moment (GMM) and spatial aspects to analyze Indonesia's trade margins of a rubber product to export destination countries over the period ...2009-2018. The study unraveled the role of non-tariff measures such as sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS), technical barriers to trade (TBT), and gravity factors in determining rubber trade margins. Our empirical strategies revealed that sanitary and phytosanitary policies negatively affect trade margins, while the technical barrier to trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) asserts a positive impact on trade margins. However, the economics of scale, port, and contiguity increases extensive margin and reduces intensive, population size, distance, and language barrier reduce extensive margin and increase intensive margin. Further evidence revealed that high population size and port quality accompanied by high FDI and distance increases extensive margin and reduces intensive margin. High economics of scale accompanied by distance, port quality, FDI, and population size reduces both trade margins. Our empirical strategy from the spatial analysis does not give overall significant results on each variable as only economies of scale and population size seem to have a spatial influence on trade margins. The study, therefore, recommends that innovation both in terms of technology, like industrial innovation in the field of rubber processing and certification related to rubber commodities, needs to be increased to intensify and expand Indonesia's rubber market share.
► The thermal behavior of kaolinite intercalation complexes by the most common reagents are summarized. ► The possible structural models for the kaolinite intercalation complex have been proposed. ► ...The further work on kaolinite intercalation complex is also proposed.
The kaolinite intercalation and its application in polymer-based functional composites have attracted great interest, both in industry and in academia fields, since they frequently exhibit remarkable improvements in materials properties compared with the virgin polymer or conventional micro and macro-composites. Also of significant interest regarding the kaolinite intercalation complex is its thermal behavior and decomposition. This is because heating treatment of intercalated kaolinite is necessary for its further application, especially in the field of plastic and rubber industry. Although intercalation of kaolinite is an old and ongoing research topic, there is a limited knowledge available on kaolinite intercalation with different reagents, the mechanism of intercalation complex formation as well as on thermal behavior and phase transition. This review attempts to summarize the most recent achievements in the thermal behavior study of kaolinite intercalation complexes obtained with the most common reagents including potassium acetate, formamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, hydrazine and urea. At the end of this paper, the further work on kaolinite intercalation complex was also proposed.
Rubber composites deliver unsatisfactory mechanical performance if the rubber matrices, such as natural rubber, lack appropriate dispersion of fillers such as silica. This study explored the ...dispersion and reinforcement performance of binary fillers in natural rubber. Graphite powder was used as a solid lubricating silica filler in the rubber matrix, and shear force was applied using a conventional two-roll mixing mill. The curing, mechanical, and morphological properties were studied to evaluate the mechanism of binary filler dispersion in the rubber matrix. Binary fillers comprising silica and graphite offered better mutual dispersion, which was observed by scanning electron microscopy and mechanical testing and confirmed by atomic force microscopy. Better filler dispersion in natural rubber improved the mechanical and age resistance properties. The modulus at 100% strain and stress at break of unfilled rubber were increased by nearly 110% and 15%, respectively, when 20 phr (per hundred gram of rubber) of binary filler in a 1:1 weight ratio was used, and the composite exhibited better aging resistance and mechanical properties, compared to those of composites with single-filler systems, which may be attributable to the excellent filler dispersion in the rubber matrix.
Given the environmental and socioeconomic challenges associated with monoculture rubber plantations, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) emphasized the importance of utilizing and ...protecting crop diversity for sustainable development of rubber industry in Thailand. However, the adoption of such technology remains relatively low that makes rubber crop diversity highly controversy in Thailand. Based on data collected from 2,159 rubber households between 2012 and 2014, this study aims to investigate the impacts of crop diversity adoption on the net income of rubber farmers in Thailand by using propensity score matching models. The findings reveal that adopting rubber crop diversity has a statistically significant negative effect on rubber farmers’ net income. Specifically, those engaged in rubber crop diversity experience a lower net income per person ranging from − 11,785.29 baht to -10,887.21 baht comparing their counterparts practicing monoculture rubber farming. Furthermore, such significant negative effects are exclusively observed among smallholders and rubber farmers in southern regions. Given the implementation of rubber crop diversity system usually grants environmental benefits to the local eco-systems as positive externalities without market rewards, it is imperative to provide additional incentives and support mechanisms to steam up wider adoption of rubber crop diversity for ensuring long-term sustainability of rubber industry in Thailand.
Vegetable oils were investigated as plasticizers to improve the sustainability of rubber compounding. The potential use of different vegetable oils as an alternative to petroleum‐based rubber process ...oils was reviewed. This article presents a literature review on the current understanding of the influence of vegetable oil properties on natural rubber (NR) compounding. Hansen solubility parameters of the vegetable oils were determined to assist with the selection of vegetable oil for NR. We believe that the use of Hansen parameters could make the use of vegetable oils in rubber more convenient and cost‐effective.
The potential use of different vegetable oils as an alternative to petroleum‐based rubber process oils was reviewed. This article presents a literature review on the current understanding of the influence of vegetable oil properties on natural rubber compounding.
Rare earths, scandium, yttrium, and the fifteen lanthanoids from lanthanum to lutetium, are classified as critical metals because of their ubiquity in daily life. They are present in magnets in cars, ...especially electric cars; green electricity generating systems and computers; in steel manufacturing; in glass and light emission materials especially for safety lighting and lasers; in exhaust emission catalysts and supports; catalysts in artificial rubber production; in agriculture and animal husbandry; in health and especially cancer diagnosis and treatment; and in a variety of materials and electronic products essential to modern living. They have the potential to replace toxic chromates for corrosion inhibition, in magnetic refrigeration, a variety of new materials, and their role in agriculture may expand. This review examines their role in sustainability, the environment, recycling, corrosion inhibition, crop production, animal feedstocks, catalysis, health, and materials, as well as considering future uses.
The main advantages of the use of silica instead of carbon black in rubber compounds are based on the use of a silane coupling agent. The use of a coupling agent to modify the silica surface improves ...the compatibility between the silica and the rubber. There are two different possibilities of modifying the silica surface by silane: ex-situ and in-situ. The present work studies the differences between these processes and how they affect the in-rubber properties of silica filled SBR compounds.
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