Argamosa, Hannah Yvette

Atud, John Luigi

Nepomuceno, Tristan
ECE21

RUBBER
Description:
NATURAL RUBBER
� Natural rubber is also called India rubber or Caoutchouc
� Consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene with minor impurities
of other organic compounds plus water. (Polymer - a molecular structure consisting
chiefly or entirely of a large number of similar units bonded together)
� Forms of polyisoprene that are used as natural rubbers are classified as
elastomers. (Polyisoprene - a polymer of isoprene occurring naturally in rubber and
gutta-percha and also produced synthetically; Elastomers - a natural or synthetic
polymer having elastic properties)
� 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 ratioand high resilience, and is extremely waterproof.

Atomic/Molecular Structure:
In 1826, English chemist Michael Faraday (1791�1867) analyzed natural rubber and
found it to have the empirical (simplest) formula C5H8, along with 2 to 4 percent
protein and 1 to 4 percent acetone-soluble materials (resins, fatty acids, and
sterols).
In 1860, English chemist Charles Hanson Greville Williams (1829�1910) confirmed
Faraday's analysis and in 1862 distilled natural rubber to obtain the pure monomer,
which he named isoprene. He determined isoprene's vapor density and molecular
formula, and he showed that it polymerizes to a rubbery product�an observation that
led to the notion that rubber is a linear polymer of isoprene, proposed in 1910 by
English chemist Samuel Shrowder Pickles (1878�1962).
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. Some natural rubber

sources, such as gutta-percha, are composed of trans-1,4-polyisoprene, a

structural isomer that has similar, but not identical, properties.
Natural rubber is an elastomer and a thermoplastic. Once the rubber is vulcanized,
it will turn into a thermoset. Most rubber in everyday use is vulcanized to a point
where it shares properties of both; i.e., if it is heated and cooled, it is
degraded but not destroyed.
The final properties of a rubber item depend not just on the polymer, but also on
modifiers and fillers, such as carbon black, factice, whiting, and a host of
others.

Mechanical Properties & Electrical Properties:

Natural rubber (NR) nanocomposites containing different loadings of multi- walled
carbon nanotubes were prepared by latex compounding. The as-prepared nanolatex
composites were cast into 3-mm sheets on a glass mold and then cured at 80�C for 3
hours. The obtained vulcanizates were evaluated for their mechanical properties
(tensile properties, tear strength and hardness) and surface electrical
resistivity. The results showed that the incorporation of multi - walled carbon
nanotubes at a very low loading can reinforce natural rubber by enhancing the
tensile strength, modulus at 300% strain, elongation at break, tear strength and
hardness and also increase the electrical conductivity. The reinforcing effect of
multi-walled carbon nanotubes is primarily attributed to its very high aspect ratio
and great specific surface area, whilst the electrical conductivity of the
nanocomposites is due to the formation of a continuous conductive network of multi-
walled carbon nanotubes in the natural rubber matrix.
Rubber particles are formed in the cytoplasm of specialized latex-producing cells
called laticifers within rubber plants. Rubber particles are surrounded by a single
phospholipid membrane with hydrophobic tails pointed inward. The membrane allows
biosynthetic proteins to be sequestered at the surface of the growing rubber
particle, which allows new monomeric units to be added from outside the
biomembrane, but within the lacticifer. The rubber particle is an enzymatically
active entity that contains three layers of material, the rubber particle, a
biomembrane, and free monomeric units. The biomembrane is held tightly to the
rubber core due to the high negative charge along the double bonds of the rubber
polymer backbone. Free monomeric units and conjugated proteins make up the outer
layer. The rubber precursor is isopentenyl pyrophosphate (an allylic compound),
which elongates by Mg2+-dependent condensation by the action of rubber transferase.

The monomer adds to the pyrophosphate end of the growing polymer. The farnesyl
pyrophosphate can bind to rubber transferase to elongate a new rubber polymer. The
required isopentenyl pyrophosphate is obtained from the mevalonate pathway, which
derives from acetyl-CoA in the cytosol. The relative ratio of the farnesyl
pyrophosphate initiator unit and isoprenyl pyrophosphate elongation monomer
determines the rate of new particle synthesis versus elongation of existing
particles. Though rubber is known to be produced by only one enzyme, extracts of
latex have shown numerous small molecular weight proteins with unknown function.
The proteins possibly serve as cofactors, as the synthetic rate decreases with
complete removal.

Uses and Applications:

Natural rubber is a high molecular weight polymeric substance with viscoelastic
properties. Structurally it is cis 1,4-polyisoprene. Isoprene is a diene and 1, 4
addition leaves a double bond in each of the isoprene unit in the polymer. Because
of this, natural rubber shows all the reactions of an unsaturated polymer. It gives
addition compounds with halogens, ozone, hydrogen chloride and several other
reactants that react with olefins. An interesting reaction of natural rubber is its
combination with sulfur. This is known as vulcanization. This reaction converts the
plastic and viscous nature of raw rubber into elastic. Vulcanized rubber will have
very high tensile strength and comparatively low elongation. Its hardness and
abrasion resistance also will be high when compared to raw rubber. Because of the
unique combination of these properties, natural rubber finds application in the
manufacture of a variety of products.

The main use of natural rubber is in automobiles. In developed countries nearly 60%
of all rubber consumed is for automobile tires and tubes. In heavy duty tires, the
major portion of the rubber used is Natural Rubber. In addition to tires a modern
automobile has more than 300 components made out of rubber. Many of these are
processed from Natural Rubber.
Uses of Natural Rubber in hoses, footwear, battery boxes, foam mattresses,
balloons, toys etc., are well known. In addition to this, Natural Rubber now finds
extensive use in soil stabilization, in vibration absorption and in road making. A
variety of Natural Rubber based engineering products are developed for use in these
fields.
Manufacturing Process:
The latex will coagulate in the cups if kept for long. The latex has to be
collected before coagulation. The collected latex, "field latex", is transferred
into coagulation tanks for the preparation of dry rubber or transferred into air-
tight containers with sieving for ammoniation. Ammoniation is necessary to preserve
the latex in a colloidal state for longer periods of time.
Latex is generally processed into either latex concentrate for manufacture of
dipped goods or it can be coagulated under controlled, clean conditions using
formic acid. The coagulated latex can then be processed into the higher-grade,
technically specified block rubbers such as SVR 3L or SVR CV or used to produce
Ribbed Smoke Sheet grades.
Naturally coagulated rubber (cup lump) is used in the manufacture of TSR10 and
TSR20 grade rubbers. The processing of the rubber for these grades is a size
reduction and cleaning process to remove contamination and prepare the material for
the final stage of drying.

SYNTHETIC RUBBER
Description:
� invariably polymer
� man-made rubber
� mainly synthesized 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.
� Synthetic rubber, like natural rubber, has uses in the automotive industry
for tires, door and window profiles, hoses, belts, matting, and flooring.

Atomic/Molecular Structure:
Synthetic rubber is made by the polymerization of a variety of petroleum-based
precursors called monomers. The most prevalent synthetic rubbers are styrene-
butadiene rubbers (SBR) derived from the copolymerization of styrene and butadiene.
Other synthetic rubbers are prepared from isoprene, chloroprene, and isobutylene
(methylpropene) with a small percentage of isoprene for cross-linking. These and
other monomers can be mixed in various proportions to be copolymerized to produce
products with a range of physical, mechanical, and chemical properties. The
monomers can be produced pure and the addition of impurities or additives can be
controlled by design to give optimal properties. Polymerization of pure monomers
can be better controlled to give a desired proportion of cis HYPERLINK
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cis-trans_isomerism" and HYPERLINK
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cis-trans_isomerism"trans double bonds.

Synthetic Rubber Properties

Elastomers Summary
Hydrogenated Nitrile It has excellent abrasion, compression set, tensile, and
tear properties. Unlike standard nitriles, resists ozone, sunlight, and other
atmospheric environments
Natural Rubber / Isoprene Natural Rubber / Isoprene has excellent dynamic
properties. However, it does not do well with petroleum oils, sunlight and ozone
Polyacrylate Polyacrylate is used in applications such as transmissions or
anything where there is petroleum oils and high temperature. Highly resistant to
ozone and weathering.
Silicone Silicon exhibits great temperature range capabilities. Silicones also
has good resistance to ozone, weather and is also a good insulator. However, it has
low tensile, tear and wear resistance.

Elastomers Summary
Buna-N (Nitrile) Nitrile has good mechanical properties and high wear resistance
relative to other elastomers. Unless they are specially compounded, nitrile is not
resistant to weathering, sunlight and ozone.
Butadiene, Styrene Butadiene similar to natural rubber. It is mostly used in tires
and seals for non-mineral oil based applications.
Butyl Butyl has a very low permeability rate making it a great seal under vacuum.
Butyl also has good electrical, shock dampening properties.
Chloroprene (Neoprene) Neoprene� exhibits good oil, ozone, weather, aging,
refrigeration and chemical resistance. It also has good mechanical properties over
a wide temperature range.
Ethylene Propylene Ethylene Propylene Copolymer has excellent resistance to
phosphate ester fluids (Skydrol), brake fluids (glycol base), steam, weather, and
ozone
Fluorocarbon (Viton) Responds very well with resistance to ozone, high
temperatures, oxygen, mineral oil, synthetic hydraulic fluids, fuels, aromatics and
many organic solvents and chemicals. The universal O-ring.
Fluorosilicone Has excellent resistance to petroleum oils and fuels.
Fluorosilicone has limited strength and abrasion resistance so it is generally
recommended for static applications only.

Uses & Applications

Synthetic Rubbers which was known as Buna rubber was invented in the year 1935.
Ever since then, synthetic rubber has found its applications in various fields.
Some of the most significant uses of man-made rubber include the following:
Tyres: Man-made rubber is used to manufacture tyres of various types. Today
synthetic rubber is used to manufacture tyres as it is known to be tensile and
durable. It is thus considered to be one of the best options for automobile tyres.

Fuel missiles: Rubber based fuels were used for launching missiles during the
Second World War. Man-made rubber can be formed into various forms so it is widely
used for space travels.
Scientific and medical field: Man-made rubber is also used in the field of science
and medicine. It is used for manufacturing rubber gloves, orthopedic braces and
various other medical items.
Adhesive tapes and liquids: Due to its adhesive qualities, it is used to
manufacture adhesive tapes and liquids.
Protective clothing: Synthetic rubber is also used to manufacture various types of
protective clothes, boots, sleep sacks, diving suits and so forth.
Tubes and hoses: Man-made rubber is also used to manufacture garden hoses, gaskets,
mechanical seals, belts and hoses. It is also used to manufacture inner tubes,
garden hoses and laboratory tubes.
Apart from the above mentioned uses, man-made rubber can also be used to
manufacture inflatable boats, diving suits, all types of protective clothing and so
forth. Today there a huge variety of synthetic rubber products available in many of
the online stores at affordable price rates.

Manufacturing Process
Synthetic rubbers are complex chemical compounds built by means of polymerization
of monomers. Synthetic rubber production starts with the refining process of oil,
coal or other hydrocarbons with naphtha as one of the resulting products. The
naphtha is then combined with natural gas to produce monomers. As feed material,
typically monomers such as butadiene, styrene, isoprene, chloroprene,
acrylonitrile, ethylene or propylene are used. These are then treated by
polymerization using catalyst and process steam to form chains of polymers which
finally results in rubber substances.
These substances are then processed to rubber products by vulcanization. In
integrated plants, naphtha or even the monomers and process steam are delivered as
raw materials from other production facilities which are located close to the
rubber plant. The synthetic rubber industry provides a high number of different
synthetic rubbers which are produced in chemical plants worldwide to reflect the
different applications and the wide range of requirements from the market.

Examples are
� Styrene-Butadiene Rubber (SBR),
� Polybutadiene Rubber (BR)
� Polyisoprene Rubber (IR) � Butyl Rubber (IIR)
� Nitrile Rubber (NBR)
� Halobutyl Rubber (HIIR)
� Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM)
and many more.
The use of rubber is widespread, as the characteristics and properties of these
elastomers make them useful in almost all economic sectors such as automobiles,
civil construction, footwear or plastics so that they are of crucial importance in
the daily life of society.

sources
https://b2bbusinessnews.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/interesting-uses-of-synthetic-
rubber/
https://w3.siemens.com/mcms/sensor-systems/CaseStudies/CS_Butyl_Rubber_2013-
01_en_Web.pdf
http://www.industrialrubbergoods.com/types-of-synthetic-rubber.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_rubber
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_rubber
http://www.chemistryexplained.com/Ru-Sp/Rubber.html
http://rubberboard.org.in/ManageCultivation.asp?Id=196