Influence of proteins and phospholipids on strain softening behaviors of natural rubber

In natural rubber (NR), the non-rubber components such as protein and phospholipids strongly influence the Payne effect and Mullins effect while the mechanisms are not yet clarified so far. Herein deproteinized NR (DPNR) and transesterified DPNR (TEDPNR) are prepared and rheological behaviors are investigated. It is shown that the non-rubber components greatly retard the terminal flow behavior. In comparison with NR, DPNR and TEDPNR exhibit significant hysteresis and worse recoverability under large amplitude shear. During cyclic tensile deformation, the DPNR vulcanizate behaves similar to the NR one, while the TEDPNR one demonstrates higher deformation energy normalized with theoretical shear modulus and dissipation ratio. It is suggested that both the protein and phospholipids influence the Payne effect of NR gum by forming aggregates and creating intermolecular association. On the other hand, the phospholipids rather than protein strongly influence the Mullins effect by lowering their crosslinking density and associating the rubbery chains. This investigation would be enlightening for understanding the mechanisms of the Payne effect and Mullins effect of the NR materials.