Effect of shrimp shell chitosan loading on antimicrobial, absorption and morphological properties of natural rubber composites reinforced with silica-chitosan hybrid filler

The natural rubber composites reinforced with hybrid filler between silica from rice husk and chitosan from shrimp shell were prepared by a latex solution method. The amount of shrimp shell chitosan was varied as 0, 3, 5, and 10phr with a constant amount of rice husk silica at 10phr. The natural rubber composites with hybrid filler were prepared before mixing with vulcanizing agents using conventional curing system. The antimicrobial, absorption, and morphological properties of the natural rubber composite films and cured composites were investigated by the Agar Diffusion Method, Water Absorption Test and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), respectively. Using 5phr of chitosan shows the optimum properties for used as filler incorporated with silica in natural rubber composites for medical applications.