Natural rubber is a coherent elastic 9 id obtained from a milky liquid known as latex "which occur' in

special vessela in the bark and in the roots, stem, branches, leaves and fruit of a wide assortment of
plaats howing, for the mc - part, in the Tropics. 2. Natural iber of comerce is the product of a tree known
as Hcvea brasiliensis. -/ Although Brazil was the origiral home of the rubber tree, the main source of
rubber comes from South and Southeast Asia. 3. The major constituent of the rubber from Hevea I. a
hydrocarbon with a chemical composition designated by the formula (C5 H8)n, where n represents a
large but indefinite number of replications of the basic unit. The basic unit is generally considered to be
isoprene, C5 H8, and thus the rubber hydrocarbon is a polyisoprene. This hydrocarbon is found in all
natural rubbers and is responsible for their resilience and elasticity. The proportion of poly-isoprene
varies ia different crude rubbers; in Hevea it is over 90 percent. -t 4. Natural rubber is a fairly
homogenous commodity. Its qualities and product performance are well known: they still constitute the
reference point for man-made elastomers. Natural rubber has high resilience and tensile strength and
low heat build-up. Its resistance to impact, abrasion, and tear are excellent. Because of its physical and
resistance properties, natural rubber 1/ The other commercial source of natural rubber is provided by a
desert shrub known as guayule, Parthenium argentatum Gray. It was the source of about 10% of the
world's zutuber supply in 1910 and contributed a substantial amount through the 1920s. During World
War II, about 32,000 acres of guayule were planted in the US but most of the shrubs were destroyed
after the war without recovering the accumulated rubber. With the so-called energy crisis, interest in
guayule has revived, particularly in the US and Mexico. 2/ Hevea and guayule rubbers contain virtually
identical cis-polyisoprene hydrocarbon but that from guayule lacks the natural vulcanization promoters
and anti-oxidants present in Hevea-derived rubberis preferred for the manufacture of products that
require high strength 1/ and low heat generation (e.g. airplane tires, giant truck tires, off-theroad
vehicles' tires) and engineering products where high fatigue resistance is reqsuired. Natural rubber,
however, is not very resistant to environmental factors: oxidation and ozone. It also has low resistance
to chemicals: gasoline kerosene, benzol, degreasers, solvents, synthetic lubricants and hydraulic fluids.
5. The most common form of natural rubber initially produced by estates was "thin brown crepe", a
grade similar to that bearing the same name today. The other premium grade was RSS (ribbed smoked
sheet). There are six different grades of ribbed smoked sheets - RSS 1X to RSS 5, Table I-Al. The grades
are based on visual inspection. RSS 1 is the highest grade traded, followed by RSS 2, &SS 3 and so on.
Historically, RSS 1 was also the most widely traded grade of rubber. During the past cwo decades, its
importance has diminished considerably particularly in relation to RSS 3, which is the standard type of
natural rubber used in the manufacturing of tires. In addition to sheets, natural rubber is also traded as
crepes. There are six standard types of crepes - pale, estate brown, thin brown, thick blanket, flat bark
and pure smoked blanket. Each type of crepe, except the last one, is further subdivided into different
grades. All rubber crepes, like sheets, are visually graded. 2/ 6. Ribbed smoked sheets are prepared from
coagulated field latex. Estate brown, thin brown, thick blanket and flat bark crepes, on the other hand,
are prepared from remilled ribbed smoked sheets. 7. The first serious effort to grade natural rubber on a
technical basis was in 1949 with the starting of the TCR (Technically Classified Rubber) scheme.

 Rubber moulded products are widely used industrially (and in some household applications)
in the form of rubber goods and appliances.
 Rubber is used in garden hoses and pipes for small scale gardening applications.
  Most of the tyres and tubes used in automobiles are made of rubber. Therefore, rubber plays
a very important role in the automobile industry and the transportation industry.
 Rubber products are also employed in matting and flooring applications.
 Rubber is frequently used in the manufacture of protective gear for medical professionals,
including medical gloves.
 Vulcanised rubber, a special type of rubber prepared by cross-linking the polymer chains
with disulfide bonds, is widely used in protective equipment in the sports industry. For
example, the pads and guards used in the popular sport of cricket are made up of vulcanised
rubber.
 Uncured rubber is known for its applications in adhesives and cement, making it a product of
choice for the construction industry.
 Uncured rubber is also used in friction tapes and in insulating materials.
 Insulating footwear and insulating blankets are often made using crepe rubber.
 Relatively soft variants of rubber are known to have a wide range of applications in the
manufacture of conveyor belts.
 The flexibility offered by certain types of rubber makes them ideal for use in printing presses
and wringers for domestic clothes.
 Rubber is also used in the production of balls, balloons, and cushions.
Latex

1. Prevulcanised Latex Compounds For

Dipping
Prevulcanised latex compounds are used for mould making. Dipping is the process of transferring a
rubber film onto a mould to achieve the desired shape. Gloves, garden ornaments, surgical sundries,
balloons, toys, bottle teats, boots and rubber shoes can all be produced using dipping latex. Higher
viscosity prevulcanised latex can be painted onto forms to make a mould. Prevulcanised latex can
be dried at room temperatures of up to 70oC.

2. Latex Compounds For Carpet

Manufacture
In the manufacturing of carpets, and especially of tufted carpets, one of the main criteria of high
quality is the ability of the carpet to keep its shape and resist pile filaments from being pulled. This
property is known as tuft bind or a tuft-pull. The higher the tuft-bind value is, the better the quality of
a carpet.
If you have traditional carpets at home, you probably know that the pile can get separated from the
backing, which leads to individual tufts being exposed. This characteristic is measured in
delamination strength and the higher it is, the longer a carpet will look new and the longer it will last.
In order to avoid these two problems, manufacturers can laminate carpet pile to carpet backing by
applying a latex compound to the surfaces of the piles and the backing. When two surfaces are
brought together, they are nipped and then the carpet is passed through large ovens to dry and
cross-link the compound. As a result of applying the latex compound the lamination process
compresses the rug pile to the rug backing. Carpets treated with latex compounds have higher tuft-
bind value and delamination strength, which means they serve longer and keep their shape better.

3. Latex Compounds For Textiles

Latex compounds are widely used in textiles in order to increase their resilience, handle, aging
resistance, abrasion resistance, dimensional stability and mechanical strength. Latex compounds
are also used to make furnishing fabrics flame retardant e.g. to meet UK Fire Furnishing
Regulations. Waxes can be added to latex compounds which are then applied to textiles in order to
improve water repellency. Fungicides can be added to latex compounds used for tent and marquees
preventing mould growth.

4. Latex Compounds For Mattress Pillow

Manufacture
Natural rubber latex compounds are used to make mattresses. Such mattresses are soft, flexible
and resilient. Latex mattresses and pillows are highly valued for their comfort. Mattresses made from
latex are a popular choice for eco-shoppers as latex is a natural and sustainable material sourced
from rubber trees.
As a material, latex is very soft but supportive, which makes it a popular choice for use in pillows,
toppers, crib mattresses, and all types of bedding. Thanks to its high elasticity, it provides a unique
‘bounce back’ feeling and gently pushes back on the parts of your body that push down when you
sleep.
Latex provides support, responding to all your movement and relieving pressure points while you
sleep. All these properties make latex compounds a great choice for everyone looking for the “get up
and go!” feeling in the morning.
The quality known as responsiveness gives different mattresses different speeds at which they
spring back from being compressed by the weight of a body. It is an important property for the
mitigation of pressure. Unlike traditional mattresses or memory foam mattresses, latex ones are
more responsive. They quickly conform to your body shape.

5. Latex Compounds For Packaging

Compounds based on latex are used to make cold seal adhesives which are used in packaging
applications. If you examine a typical confectionary bar you will see that the packaging is sealed at
each end and along the base. Cold seal adhesive compounds are primarily based on natural rubber
latex. Natural rubber exhibits a unique property known as auto-adhesion. When thin films or coatings
of natural rubber are compressed together a bond is formed. Heat is not needed for this to process -
hence the term cold seal adhesive.

6. Latex Compounds For Construction

Latex compounds coalesce to form a polymer film that is highly resistant to water and air. These
properties make latex extremely important for a huge range of construction applications. These
compounds play an important role in binding materials, enhancing the adhesion and strength of
cement, concrete and foam insulation.