Chapter 1
Problem and Its Scope
Introduction
Random unexpected eventualities such as pipe leakage and roof breakage are bothersome
circumstances due to the discomfort it provides. Pipe leakage and roof breakage are the usual problems
in the household that lead to abrupt expenses for its repair. The damages are usually treated with a
sealant. Sealant is a substance used to block the passage of fluid through the surface or joints or
openings in material (Oxford University Press, 2009). Sealants fall between higher- strength adhesives at
one end and extremely low strength putties and caulks at the other ( Adhesive and Sealant Council,
2008). There are certain types of sealants which are manufactured commercially by certain companies
which aid in the common problem that every household experience. However commercial sealants
these days are usually expensive. Furthermore, recent studies show that some commercial sealants are
potential hazards since they contain toxic chemicals like isocyanates (Blue Green Alliance Foundation,
2016).
It has been postulated that latexes from certain trees and plants contain various components
like latex. Latex is a milky liquid found in many plants but is not the same as sap (Myers, 2017). After
such deliberation, the researcher decided to make use of jackfruit latex and rubber tree latex to make an
alternative sealant. This mixture of materials was selected due to the unique properties possessed by
the said materials. It has been scientifically proven that jackfruit latex is a potential source of adhesive.
Jackfruit trees are 30 to 70 ft. (9 21 m) tall, with evergreen, alternative, glossy, somewhat leathery
leaves to 9 in (22.5 cm) long, oval on mature wood, sometimes oblong or deeply lobed on young shoots.
All parts contain sticky white latex (Morton, 1987). The heated latex is employed as household cement
for mending chinaware and earthenware, and to caulk boats and holes in bucket (Tacio, 2017). The
chemical constituents of the latex have been reported by Tanchico and Magpanlay. It is not a substitute
for rubber but contains 82.6 to 86.4% resins which may have value in varnishes (Morton, 1987). The
latex extracted from the plant is extremely sticky and therefore also used as an adhesive(Dass, 2017)
Another scientific inquiry has tested and proven the elastic property od rubber making it the
perfect binder and filler for a sealant. The rubber trees grow to heights of 100 to 130 feet and can live
up to 100 years. Its most famous feature is the milky white sap, known as latex, which flows freely from
the tree when a silver of bark is removed. A rubber tree, also referred to as rubber wood, can be tapped
for latex once it reaches approximately six years of age (Rainforest Alliance, 2012). From surgical to
caulks, Natural Rubber Latex (NRL) is used in numerous products in the adhesives and sealants industry.
In the 1845,the first rubber-based adhesive patent (U.S. Patent number 3,965) was issued to Henry Day.
Natural rubber latex was the first polymer to be used to produce pressure-sensitive adhesives.
Interestingly, NRL is the only material that sticks to itself, making it ideal for cold-seal adhesives. (Doyle,
2010)
The Jackfruit Latex and rubber tree mixtures are possible eco-friendly and inexpensive solution
for sealing common household leakages. The researcher combine the constituents which are jackfruit
latex and rubber tree latex by heating the ingredients to form a tacky substance that was used as
alternative sealant. Carpenters, plumbers, and ordinary household members can be the beneficiaries of
the said alternative sealant. In the study, the researcher manipulated the concentrations of the jackfruit
latex to determine the optimal measurement of the said ingredient. Furthermore, the sealant was
applied on steel sheet with a punctured hole and the researcher tested its effect by applying high
pressures until the seal was broken.
Theoretical Framework
The researcher of the study have decided that mixtures composed of jackfruit latex on a rubber
base are an appropriate alternative to commercial sealants. This is due to several factors inherent to
jackfruit latex and rubber.
According to Team WFM (2016), it has been established that sealants are ‘’polymers having a tight
molecular structure that does not allow water to penetrate a seal’’ The researcher of the study has
empirical evidence that a mixture of jackfruit latex upon a rubberbase possesses hydrophobic properties
and other desirable properties usually required for a sealant to do its job. The hydrophobic property of
the components is the main factor for producing the sealant as the mixture is a worthy alternative to the
commercial sealants found in hardware shops.
According to an article by Than (2017), it was mentioned that ‘’hydrophobes are nonpolar molecules and
usually have long chain of carbons that do not interact with water molecules.” American Chemist Walter
Kauzmann described that nonpolar substances tend to clump up together rather than evenly distribute
itself in an aqueous medium, because this allows the compounds to expose the least surface area to the
aqueous solution. When hydrophobes are placed in an aqueous medium, the hydrogen bonds between
the water molecules will have to be broken for the hydrophobe to be dissolved into the medium and as
commonly noted, hydrogen bonds are the strongest bonds that form between any given molecules. It is
due to the hydrogen bonds that hydrophobes would much rather stick together than dissolve into the
solution.
Sealants, sometimes called caulks, are viscous substances which are used to fill the voids, cracks, and
gaps between substrates. Sealants are usually used as barriers because of its structure and properties.
Sealants generally contain inert filler material and are usually formulated with an elastomer to give the
required low flexibility and elongation as overall strength is not important. They usually have a paste
consistency to allow filling of gaps between substrates.
There are different types of sealants which includes latex sealants and elastomeric sealants. Latex
sealants are water-based, easy to tool, easy to clean up, elastomeric sealants. Latex sealants are water-
based, easy to tool, easy to clean up, paintable, and relatively less expensive than other types of
sealants. Latex sealants are usually made from latex emulsions. As stated by Reddy and Palmer (2004),
latex emulsions which contain a stable water-insoluble, polymeric colloidal suspension in an aqueous
solution, are commonly used in sealant compositions to improve the properties of those compositions
by suspending the small particles inside the flexible structure of the colloid. Latex emulsions are also
employed to reduce the brittleness of the sealant compositions. In addition, latex emulsions are used to
improve the flexibility of sealant compositions. Different types of sealants have different pressure
tolerances for different purposes as the pressure tolerance.
Elastomeric sealant is a building material used to fill and seal upspaces. With a rubbery liquid texture
that dries hard but retains flexibility, it canbeeasyto work with and is typically long lasting. When applied
or inserted into a crackorspace, the sealant expands and seals to the surface, creating a waterproof
barrier. A chemical compound, or polymer, called elastomer makes up elastomeric sealant. It is strong
and spongy-hard and rubbery, making it an elastic polymer.
The Japanese Patent No. 3210863 (1989) describes “a puncture sealant forsealing a punctured tire,
containing a rubber latex comprising only natural rubberlatex and also containing a resin-based adhesive
that is compatible with the natural rubber latex.” (Takahara and Okamatsu, 2009). Rubber is a known
elastomer andjackfruit latex can be considered as a resin-based adhesive since jackfruit latexcontains
adhesive properties.
The Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-035867 (2004) describes “a tire
puncture sealant containing at least a natural rubber latex, a tackifying resin emulsion, and an anti-
freezing agent, wherein a solid content of the natural rubber latex is from 30 to 60 parts by weight, a
solid content of the tackifying resin emulsion is from 10 to 30 parts by weight and a content of the anti-
freezing agent is from 20 to 50 parts by weight per 100partsby
weight of a total solid contents that is a sum of the solid content of the natural rubber latex, the solid
content of the tackifying resin emulsion and the content ofthe anti-freezing agent; an aromatic modified
terpene resin is used as a tackifying resin in the tackifying resin emulsion, and the tire puncture sealant
can maintainhigh, stable sealing performance over a long period of time even when stored under harsh
temperature conditions for a long period of time” (Takahara and Okamatsu, 2009).
Most current formulations of the liquid sealant contain natural latex. Forexample, the invention patent
U.S. Pat. No. 6,344,499 B1 (1994) discloses a kind of sealant comprising 55-60 wt % deproteinized
natural latex. Another invention patent U.S. Pat. No. 6,992,119 B2 (2006) discloses a kind of sealant
comprising30-60 wt % natural latex. For the sealing purpose, various kinds of tackifier such as aromatic
terpene resin or phenol resin can be added to the sealant, as pointed out by the invention patent U.S.
Pat. No. 6,864,305 B2. Additionally, the invention patent U.S. Pat. No. 8,148,448 B2 (2002) discloses that
20-40wt %VEVA copolymer resin can be used as the tackifier. The invention patent US20120277364 A1
(2010) discloses that other materials, such as synthetic latex, can also be used as the tackifier (Lam and
Chan, 2013).
Reddy and Palmer (2004) also suggested that sealant compositions mayinclude: an aliphatic conjugated
diene monomer; an additional monomercomprising a non-aromatic unsaturated mono- or di- carboxylic
ester monomer, anaromatic unsaturated monomer, a nitrogen-containing monomer, or
combinationsthereof; and a protective colloid.
Acrylic latex-based sealants exhibit many desirable properties, suchas, good flexibility, good adhesion to
many substrates and resistance to degradationby ultraviolet radiation. They suffer from one or more
fatal weaknesses, unfortunately, viz., poor wet adhesion and lack of water resistance. Intermittent
wetting of acrylic latex-based sealants after they have cured is not a problem. However, if the acrylic
latex-based sealants are immersed in water for continuousperiods of time, that is, 24 hours or longer,
total loss of adhesion canoccur. Furthermore, these sealants under such conditions begin to soften
andloseintegrity due to the lack of water resistance. Latex sealants which have onlycuredfor several
hours exhibit greater sensitivity to water and lose dimensional stability (Bullman, 1982).
Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is a medium-size evergreentreetypically reaching 8–25 m (26–82 ft)
in height that is easily recognized byits fruit, the largest among cultivated plants. All parts contain a
sticky, white latex.
The heated latex is employed as household cement for mending chinawareand earthenware, and to
caulk boats and holes in buckets. The chemical constituents of the latex have been reported by Tanchico
and Magpanlay. It is not a substitute for rubber but contains 82.6 to 86.4% resins which may have value
in varnishes.
In a previous study by Abbas and Cabili (2012), the researcher of that study planned to use the Jackfruit
peeling as the raw material of the target alternative binder. Almost all the parts of the Jackfruit tree
includingits fruit secrete latex when injured which is a good factor when it comes to binding.
The Jackfruit peeling itself also contains cellulose which is the chief component ofplants’ cell walls.
Cellulose products such as the Carboxymethyl Celluloseareused as binder.
According to The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica (2013), rubber tree(Hevea brasiliensis) is a South
American tropical tree of the spurge family(Euphorbiaceae). . The milky liquid (latex) that oozes from
any wound tothetreebark contains about 30 percent rubber, which can be coagulated and processed
into solid products, such as tires. Latex can also be concentrated for producing dipped goods, such as
surgical gloves.
Rubber is an example of an elastomer type polymer, where the polymerhas the ability to return to its
original shape after being stretched or deformed. Themajority of rubber polymer molecules contain at
least some units derivedfromconjugated diene monomers (Ophardt and Padleckas, 2017). Natural
rubber isobtained as a milky white fluid known as latex from a tropical rubber tree. Natural rubber
consists in particular of long polymer chains. If it is mixed with resin(tomake it sticky), you get an
adhesive that is extremely flexible due to the lengthand mobility of these polymer chains (Wikitapia,
2014). Also, in the 19 th century,
the introduction of rubber and rubber-based products throughout the worldbrought about a new series
of adhesive materials that made great impact onindustry. Natural latex had been used as an adhesive by
natives, but industrial processing improved its material properties for adhesive uses. Peal and
Johnsonreceived British patients in 1791 and 1797, respectively, for the use natural rubberas an
adhesive. Rubber cements - natural rubber (or more recently synthetic rubber) in a solvent – proved to
be extremely water resistant and resilient (Anderson, 1990).
Objectives of the Study
This study aimed to devise an eco-friendly alternative sealant out of the jackfruit latex in a rubber-based
sealant. Moreover, this study sought to determine the following:
1. The Maximum Pressure Tolerance of Each Setup of Jackfruit and Rubber Tree Latex Mixture
2. The effect of using different ratios of jackfruit and rubber tree latex mixture as an alternative sealant.
Null Hypothesis
There is no significant effect of using different ratios of jackfruit andrubber tree latex as an alternative
sealant.
Conceptual Framework
This study aimed to find out the effects of the different ratios of rubber treeand jackfruit latex mixture
as an alternative sealant. The independent variableofthe study is the different ratios of rubber tree and
jackfruit latex mixture. The dependent variable of the study is the maximum pressure tolerances of the
ratiosof the alternative sealant.
Independent Variable Dependent Variable
The different ratios of rubber tree and The maximum pressure tolerance of
jackfruit latex mixture the different ratios of rubber tree and
jackfruit latex mixture
A: 1:0 (12mlRubber Latex; 0ml Jackfruit Latex)
B: 1:1 (6ml Rubber Latex; 6ml Jackfruit Latex)
C: 1:2 (4ml Rubber Latex; 8ml Jackfruit Latex)
D: 1:3 (3ml Rubber Latex; 9ml Jackfruit Latex)
Figure 1. Conceptual Model of the Study
Significance of the Study
This study will help in finding more uses of natural ingredients anditsresults could contribute to society,
particularly to the carpenters and repairmenbygiving them a new aid for preventing leaks from
worsening. The main benefit ofthis study is to give a person a new variety of sealant for blocking leaks.
Thisstudy is found to be beneficial to future researchers as they might come upwithastudy from simple
things that may have great effects.
The environment should benefit from this study since the ingredientsofthe mixture are eco-friendly and
nontoxic compared to commercial sealants. Thisstudy can also help plumbers, carpenters, or repairmen
since the main purposeofthe mixture is to seal metal roof breakages, which is in line with their job.
Household members may also benefit in this study because theycanusethe mixture to seal some small
leakages in the house. The mixture can alsohelpthem in terms of their financial aspect since the
constituents of the mixturearerecycled and are harvested from natural resources. The local farmers
alsohaveastake in the research due to the study’s utilization of local materials insteadofforeign
petroleum.
In economic terms, this study is very much cheaper when comparedtocommercial sealants where prices
range from 100 pesos and higher. This product meanwhile could cost 50 pesos for the same volume as
commercial sealants. Thepackaging of the product could be in bars pre mixed then simply
meltedandapplied on the actual construction sites.
Scope and Delimitations
This study was experimental in nature wherein the different ratiosofrubber tree and jackfruit latex was
tested and compared to the commercial sealant to know the optimal ratio among the set-ups. The study
utilized a control setup, which is the commercial sealant bought in the hardware store. The study was
conducted at the Biology Laboratory of Sindangan National High School, Dapaon, Sindangan, Zamboanga
del Norte on the school year 2018-2019. The researcher asked for permission to use the apparatuses
needed in conducting the study such as alcohol lamp, tripod, and wire gauze. The researcher harvested
and brought the components of the alternative sealant, jackfruit latex and rubber tree latex.
The researcher then placed the alternative sealant on pieces of galvanized iron sheets with holes of
similar diameters then test its durability by exposing the sealant to a pressure tolerance test which was
done by applying pressure onto the samples until the seal of the sealant broke apart and released the air
and the water contained inside the pressure testing vessel.
Definition of Terms
Jackfruit. A large tropical Asian tree (Artocarpus heterophyllus) related tothe breadfruit that yields a
fine-grained yellow wood and immense fruit which contain an edible pulp and nutritious seeds
(Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2018). The latex extracted from the jackfruit tree is the main ingredient of the
alternative sealant.
Latex. A colloidal suspension of very small polymer particles in water. Many polymers can be produced
as latex, but tuber latexes are of great commercial importance (Gale Research Inc., 1996). Latex is
extracted from rubber tree and jackfruit and is used as ingredients of the alternative sealant.
Maximum pressure tolerance. The maximum force a subject can tolerate without excessive effort
(Fischer, 1986). It is the dependent variable of the study.
Pressure. Continuous physical force exerted on or against an object by somethingin contact with it. The
force per unit area exerted by a fluid against asurface with which it is in contact (Oxford University Press,
2019). Thequantity that is being measured in testing the samples of the study.
Rubber tree. A South American tree (Hevea brasiliensis) of the spurge familythat is cultivated in
plantations and is a chief source of rubber latex(Encyclopedia Britannica, 2013). The rubber latex
extracted fromtherubber tree is the filler for the alternative sealant.
Sealant. A substance that is put on a surface in order to protect it from air,
water, etc. (Oxford Dictionary Press, 2009). The proponents will devise an alternative sealant.