An alternative antioxidant for sulfur-vulcanized natural rubber: Henna

Oxidative aging of natural rubber (NR) leads to the deterioration in the physical and mechanical properties. Using various antioxidants during compounding is a common way to improve the aging resistance of NR. The most widespread used antioxidants are phenolic and amine-based synthetic antioxidants and 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,2-dihydroquinoline in rubber industry. However, synthetic antioxidants cause some environmental problems during their production and tend to be replaced by natural alternatives. In this study, henna has been evaluated as a natural antioxidant in NR-based rubber compounds for efficient and conventional sulfur vulcanization systems. Performance of henna was evaluated in terms of rheological, mechanical, aging, and temperature scanning stress-relaxation properties of the compounds. It has been concluded that henna could be used as an alternative antioxidant for sulfur vulcanization of natural rubber matrix, compensating little deteriorations in vulcanizate properties. Short- and long-term performances of henna were also found to be related to vulcanization system.