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Manufacturing Process of Rubber

Production of Natural Rubber

Cultivation of rubber is the first step in the production of natural rubber (Havea brasiliensis). It takes 7 years for a rubber tree to be convenient for harvesting rubber. When the trees get mature enough, they are tapped. This process generally performed at every 2-3 days and does not exceed more than once a day. A small portion of the bark of the tree is stripped with a slight angle in order to let the latex drain. Previously used portions of the tree can be used again at least 7 years later. A tree produces almost a half cup of latex. The collected latex is mixed with diluted acid. Then, rubber-acid compound is rolled twice. First one is to repel the water and the second one is to texture the rubber. After these steps the rubber dries and gets commercially available.  

Production of Synthetic Rubber

Production process of synthetic rubber starts with refining the oil, coal or other hydrocarbons. During production "naphtha" is revealed. This material is compounded with natural gas in order to obtain monomers like styrene and isoprene which are neccessary for the production of synthetic rubber. These monomers are then generally subjected to a solution polymerization process or an emulsion polymerization process. The aim of both methods is to produce polymer chains which will form latex or rubber substance. As a last step, the rubber is vulcanized and made available for engineering applications.