W. C. Leeuwenburg, Inc.

Marine Cargo Surveyors

706 Arendell Street # 3481
Morehead City, NC 28557
(919) 883-1698

General Description of Technical Specified Rubber

(TSR)

Close-up view of a single, individually wrapped bale of TSR. Note the bleached forward
edge of the bale (red arrow), which is a result of chloride contamination.

Rubber is the product of coagulation of rubber latex tapped from the rubber tree (Hevea
Brasiliensis). It is produced in tropical climates within 10 degrees north or south of the
equator. Most rubber is compressed into bales of approximately 75 pounds apiece and
wrapped with thin gauge polythene, stacked in six tiers of six bales and then wrapped with
a heavy shrink-wrap plastic, which is not impervious to moisture. Water damage is
apparent when the outer surface becomes bleached (a milky surface is evident). Water
damage (particularly seawater) causes deterioration of the physical characteristics of
rubber and consequential difficulties and extra costs in putting it into production. Some
manufacturing processes require that the rubber be more pure than others. Contaminated
rubber may be recovered by careful drying; severe cases of wet rubber may cause the
product to be unusable. Once the damaged cargo has been dried, the bleached areas may
be trimmed away to expose uncontaminated, usable rubber.


Lloyd’s Survey Handbook, 7th edition, edited by The British Association of Cargo Surveyors, pages 237-238.