Know more about Rubber

Looks like it was the Olmecs were the first ones to use Rubber as they made sport items with it. They initially boiled the latex and moulded it into balls. This is how they made basketballs and footballs. Countries in South East Asia is where natural rubber is found. Rubber is highly resilient and stretchy. It is used to make many products.
Synthetic rubber has also nowadays found its way into many uses.

A lot of rubber is being recycled nowadays. Over millions of tyres are recycled every year. Rubber is extensively used in laying roads roadways and for various construction purposes. Rubber is very versatile. It works as a great insulator too.

Artificially produced, rubber can be used as a protective coating, adhesive and sealant too. Your refrigerator doors, car doors and windows are all lined with rubber to ensure they seal better. Flooring is also made of rubber because it is highly comfortable and protects from injury.

18 different kinds of rubber

Here are the names of the different kinds of rubber

• AFLAS® Rubber
• Butyl Rubber
• Chloroprene Rubber
• EPDM Rubber
• Epichlorohydrin Rubber
• Fluoroelastomer Rubber
• Fluorosilicone Rubber
• Hydrogenated Nitrile Rubber
• Hypalon® Rubber
• Kalrez® Rubber
• Natural Rubber
• Nitrile Rubber
• Perfluoroelastomer Rubber
• Polyacrylic Rubber
• Polyurethane Rubber
• Silicone Rubber
• Styrene Butadiene Rubber
• Vulcanised Rubber

Materials that are used to make rubber

There are primarily two kinds of materials that go into making rubber – synthetic and natural

Synthetic Rubber – No raw materials go into making Synthetic Rubber as it is made of many compounds, which are byproducts of petroleum. Synthetic Rubber is widely used in the auto industry in the form of tyres, belts, hoses and many other products.

Synthetic rubber is better resistant to temperature when compared to natural rubber. Due to its consistent nature it is often used to create products, which need a constant and consisent quality.

Natural Rubber – Latex is what rubber is made from. Latex is obtained from Rubber trees by a process called tapping. This Rubber tree is also called Hevea brasiliensis and is found in Brazil. It is also found in countries like South America, Africa and South East Asia. Natural rubber is made from the liquid collected from this tree. It is a polymer and it is further exposed to heat to be made into rubber.