Mechanism of Choline Chloride/Glycerol/Lysine Deep Eutectic Solvent Assisted Microwave Irradiation on Natural Rubber

ABSTRACT In this article, a biodegradable ternary deep eutectic solvent (CGL‐DES) was prepared by choline chloride as a hydrogen bond acceptor and glycerol and lysine as hydrogen bond donors. CGL‐DES and latex were pre‐expanded and dried by microwave irradiation technology. FTIR confirmed that the internal components of CGL‐DES constructed a hydrogen bond network, and this network formed interfacial hydrogen bonds with proteins in natural rubber latex, achieving green functional modification of rubber. The results indicated that the synergistic effect of CGL‐DES and microwave irradiation enhanced the plasticity retention index of raw rubber and the processing flowability of mixed rubber. Compared with the standard natural rubber (SVR 3L) composites, the composites prepared by CGL‐DES combined with microwave increased crosslinking density, tensile strength, and aging coefficient by 37%, 21%, and 22%, respectively. The deep eutectic solvent and microwave are biodegradable materials and clean energy, respectively, providing new ideas for the green preparation of high‐performance natural rubber raw materials.