Spheres and areas of application of natural rubber. Where is natural rubber used?

Rubbers have made a huge contribution to the development of many types of industry. These polymers have a very unusual history of discovery. For example, natural rubber was discovered by the inhabitants of ancient South America. It is known that the South American Incas were the first to understand that the sap of the Hevea tree could be used to make footwear, fabrics and various containers. After the discovery of America, sailors brought natural rubber to Europe, but for a long time no one could understand exactly how to make anything from it. Only when the vulcanization process was discovered in the 19th century did the active process of mass production of natural rubber products begin.

Unusual properties of natural rubber

Natural rubber is a hydrocarbon contained in the sap of Hevea (also called latex) and some other rubber-bearing plants. In its pure form, natural rubber cracks in the cold and flows in the heat; in addition, it has an unpleasant odor. That is why rubber products were not very successful before the discovery of vulcanization.

Thanks to the efforts of the scientist Charles Goodyear, it became known that when natural rubber interacts with sulfur, the properties of this polymer improve noticeably. Vulcanized rubber has increased strength, elasticity, high electrical, thermal and sound insulation properties, as well as water resistance. It is thanks to these properties that the spheres and areas of application of natural rubber are very extensive.

It is worth noting that there is another type of rubber — synthetic rubber. You can read interesting information about it in our article “Spheres and areas of application of synthetic rubber”.

Use of natural rubber in the rubber industry

In its pure form, natural rubber is practically not used because of its behavior at low and elevated temperatures. Vulcanized natural rubber, however, most often serves as a raw material for the production of rubber and all kinds of products made from it. First of all, it is the tire industry that needs rubber of natural origin. It is used to produce summer and winter tires, as well as tires for bicycles, cars, tractors and special equipment.

It should be understood that rubber production, including tire production, uses not only rubber itself but also various fillers, plasticizers, anti-aging agents, catalysts and other substances. This is necessary to speed up or simplify the production process or to give products additional properties. For example, anti-aging agents are needed to slow down rubber aging and thereby increase the service life of products made from it, while catalysts are added to accelerate the vulcanization process.

Use of natural rubber in other industries

In addition to tires and rubber, natural rubber is used to manufacture other products, such as paints and varnishes, adhesives, stickers, floor coverings, hoses, conveyors, drive belts, shock absorbers and electrical insulating materials. Natural rubber has also proved useful in construction for modifying concrete and other building mixtures.

Many products used daily in the household are made from this type of rubber. Such products include stationery, toys, some furniture, contraceptives, footwear, fabric and clothing. Since rubber does not dissolve in water, weak acids or alkalis, it is actively used for making gloves. Latex gloves are produced for various purposes — household, construction and medical.

Natural rubber is a very valuable substance. It took a lot of time and effort to understand how to use it in the most profitable and useful way. But these efforts were not wasted, as shown by the numerous spheres and areas of application of natural rubber.