Virtual Booth

Several methods have been proposed to determine the dry rubber content (DRC) in natural rubber latex. One traditional approach is the direct measurement method outlined in ISO 126: 2005(E), which involves drying rubber in an oven at 70 ± 5 °C for over 15 hours or overnight. However, this process can degrade samples, leading to weight loss and high energy consumption. An alternative indirect method, commonly used in the rubber latex industry, is the Metrolac method, which estimates DRC by measuring latex density. Although this method is fast and cost-effective, it has limited accuracy and relies heavily on operator skill. To address these limitations and provide a rapid, accurate estimation of DRC that is accessible to non-technical personnel in the field, a new device has been developed. This on-screen detector utilizes electrical charge measurement principles and newly developed coding in C++ on the Arduino platform. The system allows for immediate calculation of the DRC in natural rubber latex based on electrical charge data. Comparative analysis between the new device and the standard ISO 126: 2005(E) method demonstrated that the coding program accurately evaluates %DRC, yielding results closely matching those of the standard method. The newly developed device is simple, fast, compact, and cost-effective, requiring no specialized training for operators. It holds strong potential as a quality control tool for %DRC measurement in the natural rubber latex.