Plants are known to produce Natural Rubber and are categorized as polymers. They are the most supreme polymer for human society. Natural Rubber is a very important raw material that is used to create as many as 40,000 products. They are used in surgical gloves, medical devices, car and aircraft tires, clothes, pacifiers, toys, etc. Natural rubbers are acquired by Latex. Latex is a milky liquid which is obtained from the cells of the plants that produce rubber. Before we proceed further, let’s take a look at the polymer.

What is a Polymer in Natural Rubber?

The Polymer is the chemical compound. It has large molecules that are assembled by many molecules that are of the small size but share the same kind. Few polymers are noted to exist naturally whereas others are processed in factories and laboratories.

Rubber has many amazing properties

Rubber is mostly defined by its properties. It is only because of its properties that it has gained attention worldwide. It includes high strength and elasticity that even after it is stretched for 8 to 9 times, it gets back to its normal position. Rubber does not break easily and are good insulators of electricity, flexible and resist corrosive substances.

Is Synthetic Rubber better than Natural Rubber?

Synthetic rubbers are made by man and share the same properties as that of the natural rubber. They are produced chemically and are strong and flexible. But even after many chemical processes and experiments, Synthetic Rubber failed to replace Natural Rubber. This does not mean synthetic rubber is inefficient. They are also very strong and share almost all the same properties but Natural Rubber is considered best and way more than the Synthetic Rubber.

Why are we looking for new Rubber sources?

Recently, humans have started looking for other sources of rubber. This can be narrowed down to three prime reasons. They are

• The threat to Hevea Brasiliensis Tree – Rubber is obtained from Hevea Brasiliensis. But one has witnessed that the tree is vulgar to many diseases and the most recent one is the Leaf Blight Disease. Apart from its diseases, it also has a threat by market competition for other products. This leads to less space for tree growth.
• Allergy reaction – The proteins of the latex produced from the rubber can cause severe allergy to a few people. It is also difficult to separate the latex from the rubber. Hence they are looking for the alternative.
• Hevea Brasiliensis is produced only in a single area – The rubber trees are grown only in specific areas in the world. Hence it is produced in a limited number and also they are exposed to all kinds of disease and danger.