Popular Rubber Questions
How is rubber made step by step?
Making rubber is an intricate process involving four main steps: Compounding, Mixing, Shaping and Vulcanisation. First, the rubber base is compounded with chemicals to create rubber compounds. Then, additives are mixed into the rubber to improve its properties.
Next, the rubber is shaped into the desired form before it undergoes vulcanisation, which binds together the molecules of the rubber and stabilises it. Finally, the finished rubber product is ready for use.
Is rubber made from trees or oil?
Despite the fact that rubber can be produced from crude oil, natural rubber is still made from trees! That’s right, the rubber found in tyres and everyday products like erasers actually comes from a tree’s sap.
Fascinating!
How does rubber become rubber?
Rubber is produced from latex extracted from rubber trees. First, the bark of the tree is cut into strips or blocks to create a wound that allows the sap to ooze out. The liquid latex is collected and then filtered to remove impurities before it is further processed.
Finally, the liquid latex is processed into a solid form called vulcanised rubber, which is used to make products like tyres, shoes, and more. Excitingly, this process has allowed us to make use of the amazing material known as rubber!
Are tyres still made from rubber trees?
Yes, tyres are still made from rubber trees! Gutta-percha, a material derived from the latex of para rubber trees, is still widely used in the tire production process. Around 90% of gutta-percha plantations are concentrated in Southeast Asia and many sources now use synthetic rubber as well.
Where does rubber come from?
Natural rubber comes from the Pará rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis, native to the Amazon basin. It’s obtained from latex, a milky liquid found in the latex vessels or cells of certain species. This unique plant is capable of producing around 20,000 species of plants, with only 2,500 containing rubber in their latex.