thoughts on this photo of two latex layers, one of which looks a little crumbly

[JasonRatky]

look at the edges of the core. i.d.k. if it's one of those dunlop products that use a filler i've heard about, or if all extra firm layers are going to be like that to a certain extent. or is that not even what you guys are talking about, when you refer to crumbling? either way, i don't want any latex that looks like the bottom one. what started making me nervous was one company in particular i noticed warning over & over how their warranty does not cover biodegration (& you must keep the layer encased of course). and that's their showcase photo (from a different company)- doesn't make me want one too much.
not that being rough around the corners would even be a factor while sleeping on it, i just don't like it. so do the firmest talalay layers do that as well? is anything from l.i., even their 44ild, going to be like that?

 

[JasonRatky]

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[KimberlyH]

Jason, that big crumbly layer on the bottom has an LG sticker on it. It looks like it's probably a layer of dunlop latex from Latex Green, a Sri Lankan company that manufactures dunlop latex. My 36 ILD Talalay latex doesn't look anything like that.

My 36 ILD Talalay latex more closely resembles the layer on top, though to be honest, mine looks better even than the top layer.

What company is this?

 

[grimloki]

Wow Kimberly I'm impressed with your knowledge of latex manufacturers!

100% natural latex is rumored to be crumbly, compared to natural latex blended with synthetics.

Actually... none of that is really correct. Latex is a suspension of elastomer particles in a liquid. When the liquid is gone, the elastomer particles cross link, get tangled up with eachother, or form chemical bonds. They always vulcanize the rubber, or add something to it, and the additive gives the elastomer molecules something to bond to or wrap around. The silica, or sulpher, or whatever mixed in the latex is 'natural' in the same way petrochemicals are natural... petroleum was once ferns after all.

So really, when they say 100% natural latex is crumbly, it doesn't tell you anything.

 

[KimberlyH]

grimloki wrote:
Wow Kimberly I'm impressed with your knowledge of latex manufacturers!

Not sure if this is a facetious statement or not, but I did say "it looks like it's probably . . . "

I know there is a company called Latex Green operating out of Sri Lanka. I came across it when researching latex mattresses.

http://www.latexgreen.com/home.html

The picture of the latex Jason linked has a sticker that says LG . . . . it's a reasonable conclusion to draw, don't you think?

 

[kbell]

When I look at the photo is doesn't look to me like it's really crumbling at all. It looks like the very edge stayed in the mold and did not pull away with the rest of the mattress when it was removed from the mold. You won't notice this when at all when sleeping and if it were me I wouldn't worry about it. This is just a minor irregularity that is common with any latex. Most people never see the raw latex or other materials in their mattresses so they don't get alarmed.

 

[grimloki]

KimberlyH wrote:
Not sure if this is a facetious statement or not, but I did say "it looks like it's probably . . . "

I wasn't being sarcastic. I thought it was pretty neat you could tell who made it.

Umm... the above line isn't sarcastic either.

Nor is the one above this...

I guess you'll just have to trust me.

 

[jimsocal]

JasonRatky wrote:

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I'm not a latex expert but I have one that is truly crumbling. Unfortunately I do not know who made it or what type it is. I've always assumed it's Talalay but I really do not know because I "found" it as a "scrapped piece" at a foam warehouse.

The one in the photo does not look to be crumbling to me, that just looks like a manufacturing error or something. I could be wrong though.

In any case I wouldn't worry too much about that if it were me. Unless I paid a lot of money for it, then maybe...

 

[Rainer]

Here's an enlarged picture

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[budgy]

you will probably never find a 100% perfect latex core speaking from of course an aesthetic standpoint. what you see on the edges is that there was probably some adhesion to the inside of the mould, or it was simply made in a mould that might not have been perfectly clean at the time and had some residue left in the edges of the moulding. definitely does not look like crumbling latex. when you feel natural latex it will have a very oily and slick feeling to it, this is of course talking specifically on the ends of the mould where everything is nice and smooth, not where it has been cut. crumbling latex does not just fall apart, it would literally feel dry to the touch and brittle. natural rubber will not do this unless it is made with a lot of fillers or it is just very old or abused.

and yeah this is definitely a latex green core. but I have seen open cores from several different companies and I have never seen one without any imperfections in it, just not really possible. I can also say that Latex Green uses less fillers than something that is manufactured in the US. natural rubber actually hardens within a matter of hours when exposed to air, so companies must add some kind of stabilization chemical....ammonia works as basically an anti coagulant to prevent the rubber from hardening naturally. when the rubber is harvested really close to the manufacturing facility like Latex Green in Sri Lanka they do not have to add nearly as much ammonia into the mix as say a company that manufactures their latex in America because it takes weeks on a boat before it arrives at the factory. the less ammonia added, the less vulcanizing agents need to be added into the mix to in the end make a foam product. the less vulcanizing agents added into the mix, the purer the end product is. Latex Green is actually probably the best mass producer of dunlop latex in the world right now.