Espiritu, Francis Adrian S.

BSIE III 1

Rubber
History
Natural Rubber
Natural rubber (NR) consists primarily of polyisoprene, a high-molecular-weight polymer
of isoprene (C5H8). It is derived from latex, a milky substance produced by various
plants, the most important of which is the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) that grows in
tropical climates (Historical Note 8.2). Latex is a water emulsion of polyisoprene (about
one-third by weight), plus various other ingredients. Rubber is extracted from the latex
by various methods (e.g., coagulation, drying, and spraying) that remove the water.
PROPERTIES:
Natural Rubber

Crude rubber is a tough and an elastic solid. It becomes soft and sticky as the
temperature rises.

Its specific gravity is 0.915.

The most important property of natural rubber is its elasticity. When stretched, it
expands and attains its original state, when released. This is due to its coil-like
structure. The molecules straighten out when stretched and when released, they
coil up again. Therefore applying a stress can easily deform rubber. Note that
when this stress is removed, it retains its original shape.

Raw natural rubber has elasticity over a narrow range of temperature from 10 to
60 degrees centigrade. Because of this, articles made of raw natural rubber don't
work well in hot weather.

Raw natural rubber has low tensile strength and abrasion resistant.

It absorbs large quantities of water.

It is insoluble in water, alcohol, acetone, dilute acids and alkalis.

It is soluble in ether, carbon disulphide, carbon tetrachloride, petrol and

turpentine.

Pure rubber is a transparent, amorphous solid, which on stretching or prolonged

cooling becomes crystalline.
Etymology
In 1770, Joseph Priestly, an English chemist, "erased" pencil marks with coagulated
rubber. Since it "rubbed off" pencil marks. He gave it the name "Rubber."
Production / Extraction Process

Planting

1 Seeds from high-grade trees are planted and allowed to grow for about 12 to 18
months in the nursery before a new bud is grafted to the seedling. After bud grafting, the
year-old seedling tree is cut back and is ready for transplanting. The bud sprouts shortly
after transplanting, resulting in a new tree with better properties. Approximately 150
trees are planted per acre (375 per ha), which are cultivated and cared for until they are
ready for tapping in about six to seven years.

Tapping

2 To harvest latex, a worker shaves off a slanted strip of bark halfway around the tree
and about one third in (0.84 cm) deep. Precise skill is required for if the tree is cut too
deeply, the tree will be irreparably damaged. If the cut is too shallow, the maximum
amount of latex will not flow. The latex then bleeds out of the severed vessels, flows
down along the cut until it reaches a spout, and finally drops into a collection cup that
will later be drained.
3 Tapping is repeated every other day by making thin shavings just below the previous
cut. When the last scar created by the cuts is about 1 ft (0.3 m) above the ground, the
other side of the tree is tapped in similar fashion, while the first side renews itself. Each
tapping takes about three hours and produces less than a cup of latex.
4 A tapper first collects the cut lump, which is coagulated latex in the cup, and tree lace,
which is latex coagulated along the old cut. Next, the tapper makes a new cut. The latex
first flows rapidly, then declines to a steady rate for a few hours, after which it slows
again. By the next day, the flow has nearly stopped as the severed vessel becomes
plugged by coagulated latex.
5 To prevent most of the liquid latex from coagulating before it can be conveniently
pooled and transported, the tapper adds a preservative such as ammonia or
formaldehyde to the collection cup. Both the liquid and coagulated latex is sent to
factories for processing.
6 To increase tree yields and reduce tapping times, chemical stimulants are used.
Puncture tapping, in which the bark is quickly pierced with sharp needles, is another
method that can improve productivity, since it enables the same worker to tap more
trees per day.

Producing liquid concentrate

7 About 10% of the latex is processed into a liquid concentrate by removing some of the
water and increasing the rubber content to 60%. This is achieved either by spinning the
water out of the latex through centrifugal force, by evaporation, or by a method known
as creaming. In this method, a chemical agent is added to the latex that causes the
rubber particles to swell and rise to the liquid's surface. The concentrate is shipped in
liquid form to factories, where it is used for coatings, adhesives, and other applications.

Producing dry stock

8 Other rubber and field latex is coagulated with acid. A giant extrusion dryer that can
produce up to 4,000 lbs (1,816 kg) per hour removes the water, creating a crumb-like
material. The dried rubber is then compacted into bales and crated for shipment.

Forming sheets

9 Ribbed smoked sheets are made by first diluting the latex and adding acid. The acid
makes rubber particles bunch together above the watery serum in which they are
suspended. After several hours, roughly one pound (0.45 kg) of soft, gelatinous rubber
coagulates for every three pounds (1.35 kg) of latex.
10 The rubber is allowed to stand for one to 18 hours, then the slabs are pressed into
thin sheets through a system of rollers that wrings out excess liquid. The final set of
rollers leaves a ribbed pattern on the sheets that increases the surface area and
hastens drying. The sheets are dried for up to a week in smoke houses before being
packed and shipped.

Producing other products

11 To make rubber products, the mix is shaped by placing it in a heated mold, which
helps shape and vulcanize the material. For more complex products, such as tires, a
number of components are made, some with fiber or steel-cord reinforcement, which
are then joined together. Surgical gloves are made by dipping a ceramic form into latex,
withdrawing the form, and then drying the latex shape.

USES:

Vulcanised natural rubber is used for making:

Rubber bands, football bladders, gloves and rubber tubes.

Tyres and tubes of automobiles and conveyor belts for industrial use after
hardening.

Sample Products

Rubber Gloves, Balloons, Gum Boots and Condoms Automotive Tires

Wetsuits

Alternative Materials

Silicone

Silicone is a good substitute for rubber. It is man-made material that is

typically inert, contains low toxicity levels and is largely heat-resistant. For these
reasons and due to its rubber-like texture, it's often used in cookware as well as in
lubricant and adhesive materials. It's used as an alternative material in synthetic
rubber electrical and insulation applications. Moreover, manufacturers use silicone in
place of latex products such as feeding nipples and pacifiers.

Nitrile

Nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) is a suitable natural rubber substitute because

it is stable in a variety of temperatures. Therefore, automotive and aeronautical
industries have put NBR to use in fuel and hose and seal applications. NBR is also
used in flexible and durable products such as footwear, sponges and floor mats. In
addition, its resilient and flexible nature makes it a suitable alternative for disposable
gloves because NBR gloves are more puncture resistant than traditional rubber
gloves.

Vinyl

First created in 1920, vinyl is another man-made substitute for rubber. It is

durable, plastic-resin material, also called polyvinyl chloride (PVC), that is made by
 combining ethylene and chlorine. Vinyl in an inexpensive substitute and is an
environment-friendly alternative because it is easily recycled. Its moisture-resistant
qualities make it a good option for products such as vinyl records, siding, flooring
and gloves.

Neoprene

This is a man-made rubber that is a common stand-in for rubber products

such as surgical gloves. It is oil-resistant, flexible and resilient so it is often used in
waterproof products such as wetsuits. Due to its flexibility and durability, it's also a
common alternative in numerous commercial products ranging from electrical
insulation to orthopedic braces. However, neoprene is pricier than latex rubber and
the material is a pollutant once discarded due to its molecular makeup.

Thermoplastic Elastomers

Owing to their great flexibility, high thermal and media resistance, major
advantages in terms of processing and recycling, the demanding and sophisticated
recipes of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) now represent the perfect alternative to
vulcanized rubber, PVC and silicone in practically any area of application. TPE can
be melted, extruded and injection-molded, and offer a range of technical processing
advantages. Particularly in sensitive and highly-regulated markets such as food
packaging, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and medical technology where minimization
of the migration potential, bio-compatibility, consumer and patient protection,
hygiene and sterilizability are required, the use of TPE has proved indispensable.

REFERENCES:
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Latex.html
http://50.30.47.15/ebook/IPE/Fundamentals_of_Modern_Manufacturing_4th_Editio
n_By_Mikell_P.Groover.pdf
http://www.tutorvista.com/content/chemistry/chemistry-ii/carbon-
compounds/natural-rubber.php
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=rubber