Natural Rubber
Hevea brasiliensis, the Pará rubber tree, sharinga tree, seringueira, or, most commonly,
the rubber tree or rubber plant, is a flowering plant belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae. It
is the most economically important member of the genus Hevea because the milky latex extracted
from the tree is the primary source of natural rubber.
Natural rubber (NR) is an agricultural crop
Synthetic rubbers is based on petroleum
Morphology:
Para rubber is a tall tree, 25-35 mt.; stem smooth, straight, un-branched up to a considerable height
and then forming a leafy canopy; bark greyish with copious milky latex. Leaves are trifoliolate,
alternate or sub opposite, at the end of the branchlets, long petioled; leaflets glabrous, elliptic-
lanceolate, acuminate, entire, 10-15 cm. long; petiole 7—10 cm. long, glandular at apex.
Flowers small sweet-scented, unisexual, in large, terminal, panicled cymes.
Fruit a capsule, dehiscing into 3 one seeded cocci; seeds ellipsoid, 3-4 cm. long, mottled brown
and shinning.
Manufacturing process of rubber Natural rubber is obtained from latex which is a milky
substance produced by rubber yielding plant. Tapping and processing are the main steps of the
manufacturing process of rubber.
Tapping
When the bark of the Hevea tree is partially cut through (tapped), a milky liquid exudes from the
wound and dries to yield a rubbery film. The
biological function of this latex is still obscure: it may
help wound healing by protecting the inner bark, or it
may serve other biochemical functions. The latex
consists of an aqueous suspension of small particles,
about 0.5 micrometre in diameter, of cis-polyisoprene,
a linear rubbery polymer of high molecular weight. The rubber content of the suspension is about
30 percent.
In this step a number if incisions are made in the bark of the trunk of rubber yielding plant
by the help of a special knife. Usually incisions are made V-shaped. The incisions are made only
on one side of the trunk at a time from the top to bottom. Tapping is done usually during
morning hours because latex from the latex vessels found in the inner bark of the trunk, comes
out more rapidly due to high turgor pressure.
The flow of latex gradually decreases towards noon and almost stop at noon. The latex is
collected in earthen pots by keeping them just below the incisions. Anticoagulant like hydrogen
peroxide (H2O2) or ammonia in added into the pot to check the coagulation of latex. The
coagulated latex which is found attached to the incisions is collected separately from which low-
quality rubber is made. Next tapping is done on either side of the trunk normally after 1-2 years.
Processing
The latex obtained from rubber tree is first passed through a large aluminium sieve to
remove the impurities like Pieces of bark and leaves
Then the water content of the latex is measured with the help of a hygrometer and then it
is standardized.
Next the latex is poured in a larger container where it is allowed to coagulate.
The coagulation of latex is done by continuous stirring with the addition of suitable amount
of formic acid and acetic acid. At this stage some chemicals are also added to the latex to
check the growth of fungi and also to make the rubber lighten in color.
The coagulated rubber is washed with water and then the water is squeezed out by pressing
it through roller. The thin rubber sheet formed after passing the latex through the roller is
called crepe rubber.
The “sheet rubber” is translucent, brown, elastic and durable.
Rubber is mostly exported in the form of sheet rubber.
Vulcanization of sheet rubber is required to increase its elasticity, tensile, strength and
resistance. It is done by heating the sheet rubber by maintaining temperature at about 150°C
with the addition of suitable amount of Sulphur, Selenium and Nitrogen.
What is vulcanization
Vulcanization is a chemical process in which the rubber is heated with sulphur,
accelerator and activator at 140–160°C. The process involves the formation of cross-links
between long rubber molecules so as to achieve improved elasticity, resilience, tensile strength,
viscosity, hardness and weather resistance.
Uses of para rubber
About 70% of the rubber produced is utilized to manufacture tire, tube and other article
associated with the automobiles
It is also used for making electrical goods, waterproofed materials and sports good.
The hand globes used in electricity and hospital are made up of rubber.
Hot water belts used in hospital also made up of rubber.
Hard rubber is mostly used in electrical and radio engineering industries.
Sponge rubber is used in carpeting.
Rubber belt is used for transportation of breakdown vehicle.
Different agricultural equipment is made from rubber
