RUBBER

Contents:
• Properties of
rubber
• Types of rubber
• Production
• Processing
• Examples
• Uses
 Properties of rubber
• It is a naturally occurring polymer from the latex of rubber trees

• It is also known as cis-1,4- poly isoprene. Because of diene it shows

the reactions of unsaturated compounds
• Consists of polymers of the isoprene, minor impurities of other
organic compounds, water.
• Natural rubber is used extensively in many applications and products,
either alone or in combination with other materials
• It has a large stretch ratio and high resilience, and is extremely
waterproof
 Types of rubber
• Natural rubber:

• There are plenty of rubber types available still the largest type used is
from Hevea Brasiliensis
• Because the synthetic cis-1,4-polyisoprenes cannot match the
properties of natural rubber.
• Synthetic rubber:

• The synthetic types of polymers are mainly manufactured from oil

• Have been developed either to be used together with natural rubber or

to make polymers with properties superior of natural rubber.
Example: Neoprene , Silicone ,Latex.
• A common classification of different types of rubber is:

1. General purpose elastomers

2. Special purpose elastomers

3. Speciality elastomers

• Elastomers :

• Forms of polyisoprene that are used as natural rubbers are classified as

elastomers.
• It is a polymer with weak inter-molecular forces
General purpose elastomers

• It comprises of : -> Natural rubber -> Polyisoprene rubber ->Styrene butadiene

rubber ->Butadiene rubber. These types have :
• good physical properties

• good process ability and compatibility

• economical and typical polymers

• Uses: In tyres and mechanical rubber goods due to good abrasion resistance and
tensile properties.
• General purpose types constitute the largest volume of polymer used
Special purpose elastomers

• It comprises: ->Ethylene-propylene rubber ->Butyl rubber ->Chloroprene

rubber ->Acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber
• They have unique properties which cannot be matched by the general purpose
types
• Uses: for manufacturing of industrial and automotive rubber products
Speciality elastomers

• The Speciality elastomers are a number of polymers with special properties of great
importance for the automotive, aircraft, and offshore industries.
• Some of these polymers are:
• Chlorosulfonated Polyethylene (CSM)
• Acrylic Rubber (ACM)
• Silicone Rubber (PMQ/PV/MQ/VMQ)
• Floursilicone Rubber (FPQ)
• Fluor elastomers (FPM/FFKM/FEPM)
• Urethane Rubber (AU/EU)
• Epichlorohydrine Rubber
Production of natural rubber

• Tapping means to make a cut in the bark of the tree. This is done to harvest
the latex.
• The lactiferous vessels contain the latex. In tapping these vessels are cut
without affecting the cambium
• A metal ribbon is used a cut is made 30 degrees to the horizontal
• Then an awl is used to cut along the ribbon
• A gouge is used to deepen the cut and the channel
• At the lower end of the channel a gutter is put and below it a latex cup is
placed for the latex to fall into.
• Latex flows along the cut, into the channel ,through the gutter and into the
cup
 Recovering rubber
• The latex is collected in large tanks, thus blending the yield of many trees together.
• To prevent latex from coagulating before it can be transported, a preservative such
as ammonia or formaldehyde is added
• The latex is processed into a concentrate by removing some of the water and
increasing the rubber content by a method known as creaming. In this method, a
chemical agent is added to that causes the rubber particles to swell and rise to the
surface.
• Ribbed smoked sheets are made by diluting the latex and adding acid. The acid
makes rubber particles bunch together .
• After hours, gelatinous rubber coagulates latex. The rubber is allowed to stand for
one to 18 hours, then the slabs are pressed into thin sheets through rollers that
wrings out excess liquid.
Processing of natural rubber
• Production of rubber is followed by processing into final products by
the steps:
1. Compounding

2. Mixing

3. Shaping

4. Vulcanizing
 1. Compounding

• Rubber is compounded with additives

• Compounding adds chemicals for vulcanization

• Mainly used filler for natural rubber is carbon black.

• Others include antioxidants, coloring pigments, plasticizers and softening oils

• China clays - hydrous aluminum silicates provide less reinforcing than carbon
black but are used when black is not acceptable
• Other polymers, such as styrene, PVC, and phenolics are added
2. Mixing

• The additives must be mixed with base rubber for uniform dispersion

• In the first stage, carbon black and other non-vulcanizing additives are
combined and allowed to cool.
• In the second stage, the vulcanizing agents are added.

• The equipments used are Two-roll mill and Banbury mixer

3. Shaping

• Shaping processes for rubber products can be divided into:

• Extrusion:

• Rubber polymers are heated and mechanically fixed. This is done to

make larger strands for compression molding.
• Molding:

• The rubber strips are heated and mixed in a chamber ,forced under
high pressure into a mold.
 4. Vulcanization

• It is a chemical process for converting natural rubber into more durable materials by
the addition of sulfur and litharge (lead oxide) on a hot stove
• It converts rubber into a heavily cross-linked, and therefore insoluble and infusible,
thermosetting polymer
• A typical soft rubber has 1 or 2 cross-links per 1000 units

• As the number of cross-links increases, the polymer becomes stiffer and behaves more
and more like a thermosetting plastic (hard rubber)
 Uses
• Naturally occurring gutta-percha from the leaves of Palaquium, a species of sapotaceous
is used for electrical cables, fiber-optic cables, and heat pipes
• A substance like gutta-percha (balata), obtained from Mimusops globosa, is used for
modern golf ball covers , waterproof clothes , wellington boots, sticking plasters, and
adhesives.
• In vehicle tires the inner parts of tires are usually made from butyl rubber, which is
highly impermeable to gases so they stay inflated for long periods of time.
• Soft and stretchy latex is used in all kinds of everyday things, pencil erasers, balloons,
gloves and paints
• Harder rubbers are needed for tougher applications like roofing membranes, waterproof
butyl liners in garden ponds, and those rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) used by scuba divers
• artificial hearts (in the rubber diaphragms that pump blood)
• the waterproof gaskets that seal the doors on washing machines
Hevea Brasiliensis
It is a species of rubberwood native to rainforests in the
Amazon region of South America including Brazil, Columbia ,
Peru
• These trees are generally found in low-altitude moist areas.

Castilla elastica
• It is called the Mexican rubber tree or the panama rubber
tree

• Ficus elastica
• It is found in Java and Malaysia.
• This species is a common tropical houseplant