What+makes+rubber?


 * __WHAT MAKES RUBBER?__**

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 * __ WHAT MAKES RUBBER? __**


 * __ Artificial Rubber __**

Artificial rubber based off of petroleum. Artificial rubber is also called Vulcanized rubber. Oil has a very long chains of carbon which is very similar to natural polymer so using a special process they can chemically alter the carbon petroleum into monomers (lots of small molecules) which is what makes rubber flexible. About 75% of our rubber is made this way because it is much cheaper that extracting polymer from the Hevea Brasiliensis tree. Petroleum based rubber first caught on in World War 2 as the bombs were obliterating the area where these trees grew. Production rates also went up in World War 2 to make supplies such as boots, rubber grips for their guns, and tires for the jeeps.


 * __ Natural Rubber __**

Naturally made rubber comes from the sap inside the Hevea Brasiliensis tree. The sap is extracted much like maple syrup is extracted from the maple tree. This sap is a form of polymer. Polymer is made up of monomers (lots of small molecules). These long chains of monomers are what make rubber very flexible. Only 25% of all rubber is made through the tree as it costs more throughout the whole process. It takes much longer to produce rubber naturally then it does to make it vulcanized.

Child Labor in Natural Rubber

In order for natural rubber plantations to make more money, they sometimes have to go to great lengths to stay in the business. According to laborrights.org, four massive rubber-producing countries (Liberia, Burma, Cambodia and the Philippines) are using child labor in their rubber plantations.

History of Rubber

When Columbus made his majestic sail toward Haiti, he found that the people there used rubber to make a ball. It was stretchy and bouncy. But rubber never fully got manufactured worldwide until 1909. Charles Goodyear started using rubber to make racing tires. He was very successful; the tires had lots of traction around corners and could easily be installed on a car. Now most of our rubber today is used for car tires.

“How is Rubber Made?” []

“4 natural rubber-producing countries use child labor” [] Source: Rubber and Plastics News

“Charles Goodyear & The History of Rubber” []

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