EXTRACTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF LATEX FROM THE EUPHORBIA CANDELABRUM PLANT

Abstract

For decades, the main source for natural rubber has been the Hevea brasiliensis plant, which represents raw
material for approximately 40% of the elastomeric market. In recent years, the supply of natural rubber has
been declining due in part to fungal disease eradicating the Hevea brasiliensis tree as well as effects of climate
change. To this end, other sources are being explored for the presence of the biopolymer poly(cis-1,4-isoprene),
a major component in natural rubber.Latex was collected by incising the stem of Euphorbia Candelabrum plant,
from which natural rubber was extracted using hexane and acetone solvent. The extracted latex samples were
found per weight percent volume to contain on average 13% rubber, 7.92% resin, and 1.8% gel. The rubber
hydrocarbon was characterized using GC-MS and FTIR analysis. FTIR analysis showed peaks at 935 cm-1,
1290 cm-1, 1457 cm-1, 1705 cm-1, and 29647 cm-1. GC-MS analysis showed a mass-spectra with peaks with a
ratio of charge number of ions similar to that of pure isoprene. Correlativity between literature data and
laboratory analysis was conducted, yielding a R-squared value of 0.786