• Creating Bioelastoplast natural rubber materials with improved performance for latex films and solid rubber dynamic applications
  
• Incorporating Single Walled Carbon Nano Tubes (SWCNT) at latex stage reduces carbon black requirements for improved eco-friendliness
• Test results confirm reduction of harmful metals and volatile emission substances

WORCESTER, Mass. and AKRON, Ohio, Aug. 08, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --  Vystar Corp. (OTC Market: VYST) announced advances in ultra-low protein natural rubber latex relating to performance improvements, new applications and formulations, and improved eco-friendliness at the International Latex Conference (ILC) in Akron, Ohio this week.  Ranjit K. Matthan, Ph.D., a latex and rubber science expert, a member of Vystar's Board of Directors and Vystar R&D head for Vytex® rubber latex for commercial raw materials, shared details in a presentation titled “Ultra Low Protein Natural Rubber Latex – A Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber Intermediates, Bioelastoplastics and Products,” which will soon be available through the ILC 2019 Conference and Vystar websites.

Dr. Ranjit Matthan stated, “Through our continuing targeted research, we are capitalizing on the patented Vytex process to remove proteins and non-rubbers from rubber and latex to create environmentally friendly raw materials with improved characteristics for strength, durability, flexibility, and resilience that may be able to provide a reduced carbon footprint alternative to some synthetic fossil fuel-based polymers that are less environmentally friendly in the manufacturing and end use lifecycle.  Vystar will engage and support industry partners to customize products to their requirements.”

ADVANCES IN BIOELASTOPLASTICS - Bioelastoplastics produced from Vytex® latex with customized viscoelastic behavior (elasticity and plasticity) enable enhanced performance in a range of static and dynamic mode applications.  Vytex latex is available in high/low/no ammonia and low/no nitrosamine formulations and offers cleaner and purer latices and rubbers that enable higher performance materials as follows:  

• Improved ultra-thin film applications enabled by Low Gel Content Latices with reduced hardening.  Vytex’s removal of the proteins and reduction of the non-rubber constituents has been found to inhibit the gel formation in latices which causes undesirable hardening akin to storage hardening in dry rubber. 
• Cost-Effective Alternative Bioelastoplastics - Modifications of the Vytex latex prior to concentration creates cost-effective alternative bioelastoplast materials including grafted, epoxidized, depolymerized, and halogenated variants.
• Reduce Carbon Black with nanotubes - Incorporating Single Walled Carbon Nano Tubes (SWCNT) at the latex stage allows for reducing carbon black usage for better  eco-friendliness.

TEST RESULTS

• Protein removal – now reduces the antigenic allergenic proteins to nanogram levels  -- <0.5-1.0 ug/g
• Nitrosamine reduction –  Vytex nitrosamine free (NF) Latex samples demonstrated Migratable N-nitrosamines were reduced to <0-.01 mg/kg, exceeding the passable rate of 0.05 mg/kg.  Migratable N-nitrosatable substances were reduced to <0.01 also within the 1.0 mg/kg pass rate for Nitrosamine-free latex and products.
• Vytex latex based products passed certification tests for the detection of volatile or harmful substances and are certified that Vytex natural latex foam is safe for use even for children.

“Dr. Matthan’s out-of-the-box thinking is taking rubber in a whole new direction to potentially solve some of the major challenges facing the rubber and plastics industries, such as sustainability and recyclability throughout the manufacturing process and product lifecycle,” noted William Doyle, Vystar R&D Consultant and co-author of the Vystar presentation at the ILC.  “These developments are in tune with the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) that targets improvement of the socioeconomic and environmental performance of the Natural Rubber Value Chain. This has the potential to accelerate growth for the entire rubber and latex market.”

Dr. Matthan added, “With continued global consumption increases, plus a growing demand to find sustainable, recyclable and more environmentally friendly replacements for plastics, we believe these new advances will garner strong interest from the rubber manufacturing industry. Globally consumption of latex and natural rubber (NR) has had a compound annual growth rate of 5.27% and 3.86% respectively over the past five years, with Asian NR consumption growth averaging 6.35% per year.”

NEW USES OF VYTEX:
The Vytex deproteinization process, originally used for latex, is now being used to develop specialty solid (non-latex) rubber, resulting in a stronger and more durable solid rubber.  This will offer new and potentially superior options for tires, plasticizers and binders, marine paint, rubber-to-metal bonding components, iodinated natural rubber conductive sheets, brominated natural rubber glossy surface finishes, thin films and sheets, certain clear plastic films, rubber resin for bonding and stiffener applications, elastic bands, medical grade rubber sheeting, anti-static sheeting, industrial sheeting, gaskets/O-ring/seals, footwear soles, vibration dampening pads and more. It also offers opportunities for grafts with other polymerizable materials to enable greater compatibility.  Under Dr. Matthan’s direction Vystar’s R&D team is working with several manufacturers and associations to develop formulations for specific applications.   

Traditional Uses of Vytex: Competitively priced against traditional latex, Vytex is a superior material and adaptable for use in more than 10,000 applications that typically use petrochemical based materials.

Vytex is sustainably sourced, in sharp contrast to petrochemical-based synthetic latex or petrochemical-based foam, synthetic latex and plastic products. In addition to removing proteins, the Vytex deproteinization process removes the source of the latex odor and improves the color, making Vytex eco-friendlier with reduced need for the hot and cold water rinses to remove undesirable residual materials.

For details on Vytex licensing, deproteinization or purchase, contact info@vytex.com or (866) 674-5238, x1 or visit www.Vytex.com.

¹BIOELASTOPLAST MATERIALS - A class of materials derived principally from Natural Rubber (Hevea Brasiliensis) which are physico-chemical modified at pre- or post-centrifuged stage of latex processing, such that its modified viscoelastic behavior(i.e. elasticity and plasticity) enables it application in a wider range of static and dynamic mode applications. Materials are made available either in the latex or solid form. The starting point for these is deproteinized (ultra-low protein) field latex which is a cleaner and purer latex.

About Vystar Corporation:
Based in Worcester, Mass., Vystar® Corp. (OTC Pink: VYST) is the exclusive creator of Vytex Natural Rubber Latex (NRL), a multi-patented, all-natural, raw material that contains significantly reduced levels of the proteins found in natural rubber latex and can be used in over 40,000 products, and the owner of environmentally friendly technologies and products to improve lives, such as RxAir UV light air purification products. Vytex NRL is a 100% renewable resource, environmentally safe, "green" and fully biodegradable. Vystar is working with manufacturers across a broad range of consumer and medical products bringing Vytex NRL to market in adhesives, gloves, balloons, condoms, other medical devices and natural rubber latex foam mattresses, toppers, and pillows. For more information, visit www.vytex.com.

Contacts:
Media: Julie Shepherd, Accentuate PR, 847 275 3643, Julie@accentuatepr.com
Investors: Steven Rotman, Vystar CEO, 508-791-9114, srotman@vytex.com

Forward-looking Statements: Investors are cautioned that certain statements contained in this document as well as some statements in periodic press releases and some oral statements of VYST officials are "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"). Forward-looking statements include statements which are predictive in nature, which depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, which include words such as "believes," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "expects," and similar expressions. In addition, any statements concerning future financial performance (including future revenues, earnings or growth rates), ongoing business strategies or prospects, and possible future VYST actions, which may be provided by management, are also forward-looking statements as defined by the Act. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and to vary significantly from reporting period to reporting period. Although management believes that the assumptions made and expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, there is no assurance that the underlying assumptions will, in fact, prove to be correct or that actual future results will not be different from the expectations expressed in this report. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and VYST has no specific intention to update these statements.