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Natural rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, as initially
produced, consists of suitable polymers of the organic compound
isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds plus water.
Forms of polyisoprene that are useful as natural rubbers are classified as
elastomers. Currently, rubber is harvested mainly in the form of the latex
from certain trees. The latex is a sticky, milky
colloid drawn off by making incisions into the
bark and collecting the fluid in vessels in a
process called "tapping". The latex then is
refined into rubber ready for commercial
processing. Natural rubber is used extensively in
many applications and products, either alone or
in combination with other materials. In most of
its useful forms, it has a large stretch ratio, high
resilience, and is extremely waterproof.
Varieties
The major commercial source of natural rubber latex is the Par
rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis), a member of the spurge family,
Euphorbiaceae. This species is widely used because it grows well under
cultivation and a properly managed tree responds to wounding by
producing more latex for several years. Many other plants produce forms
of latex rich in isoprene polymers, though not all produce usable forms of
polymer as easily as the Par rubber tree does; some of them require
more elaborate processing to produce anything like usable rubber, and
most are more difficult to tap. Some produce other desirable materials,
for example gutta-percha (Palaquium gutta) and chicle from Manilkara
species. Others that have been commercially exploited, or at least have
shown promise as sources of rubber, include the rubber fig (Ficus
elastica), Panama rubber tree (Castilla elastica), various spurges
(Euphorbia spp.), lettuce (Lactuca species), the related Scorzonera tausaghyz, various Taraxacum species, including common dandelion
(Taraxacum officinale) and Russian dandelion (Taraxacum kok-saghyz),
Chemical makeup
Latex is the polymer cis-1,4-polyisoprene with a molecular weight
of 100,000 to 1,000,000 daltons. Typically, a small percentage (up to 5%
of dry mass) of other materials, such as proteins, fatty acids, resins, and
inorganic materials (salts) are found in natural rubber. Polyisoprene can
also be created synthetically, producing what is sometimes referred to as
"synthetic natural rubber", but the synthetic and natural routes are
completely different. Chemical structure of cis-polyisoprene, the main
constituent of natural rubber. Synthetic cis-polyisoprene and natural cispolyisoprene are derived from different precursors, isopentenyl
pyrophosphate and isoprene. Some natural rubber sources, such as gutta-
Synthetic rubber
Synthetic rubber, invariably a polymer, is any type of artificial
elastomer mainly synthesised from petroleum byproducts. An elastomer
is a material with the mechanical (or material) property that it can
undergo much more elastic deformation under stress than most materials
and still return to its previous size without permanent deformation. About
15 billion kilograms of rubbers are produced annually, and of that amount
two thirds is synthetic. Global revenues generated with synthetic rubbers
are likely to rise to approximately US$56 billion in 2020.[2] Synthetic
rubber, like natural rubber, has uses in the automotive industry for door
and window profiles, hoses, belts, matting, flooring and dampeners
(antivibration mounts).