Natural rubber, also called India Rubber or Caoutchouc, is a mixture of organic compound polyisoprene and small amounts of other organic compounds as well as water. This polymer is the main component. This material is classified as an elastomer (an elastic polymer). It is derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants are ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined into a usable rubber. Polyisoprene can also be produced synthetically. Natural rubber is used extensively in many applications and products, as is synthetic rubber. It is normally very stretchy and flexible and extremely waterproof.
Read more about Natural Rubber: Varieties, Discovery of Commercial Potential, Properties, Chemical Makeup, Current Sources, Uses, Vulcanization, Allergic Reactions
Famous quotes containing the words natural and/or rubber:
“Death of the self in a long, tearless night,
All natural shapes blazing unnatural light.”
—Theodore Roethke (1908–1963)
“First, are you our sort of a person?
Do you wear
A glass eye, false teeth or a crutch,
A brace or a hook,
Rubber breasts or a rubber crotch,
Stitches to show something’s missing?”
—Sylvia Plath (1932–1963)