How does rubber get made?
Rubber, a material that has been with us for centuries, can be derived from either natural or synthetic sources. Natural rubber is harvested from the latex of the Hevea brasiliensis tree, which boasts incredible strength, flexibility, and adhesion to various materials.
On the other hand, synthetic rubber, made from petrochemicals, offers resistance to abrasion, grease, oil, heat, and even flames while maintaining flexibility at low temperatures. The development of synthetic rubbers has led to a vast array of varieties, each with its unique properties and uses.
Indeed, rubber is made to suit different needs, making it a truly versatile material.
How Is Rubber Processed?
Regardless of whether the rubber is natural or synthetic, the processing options are generally the same. Additional processing compounds the rubber so it can be used for a variety of industrial purposes. These are the four main steps.
1. Compounding (Formulating)
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Adding chemicals to a rubber base creates rubber compounds. Chemicals can stabilize the polymers or reinforce the strength of the rubbers. Sometimes, compounding can also stretch the rubber, which reduces the final cost.
2. Mixing
Similar to compounding, this step includes additives that are mixed in with the rubber. To improve ingredient dispersion and avoid raising the temperature too high, professional mixers complete this in two steps. First they create a masterbatch that includes additives, such as carbon black. After cooling the rubber, they then add the chemicals necessary for vulcanization.
3. Shaping
Some of the common shaping techniques include coating, extrusion, casting, calendering, and molding. Depending on the final product, manufacturers could rely on several shaping techniques.
4. Vulcanization
Vulcanization is a chemical process in which the rubber, natural or synthetic, is heated with sulfur, accelerator, and activator. This process forms cross-links between long rubber molecules, which improves elasticity, resilience, tensile strength, viscosity, hardness, and weather resistance. This is the final step of the process. In the past, this took up to five hours. Due to modern-day advancements, vulcanization can be completed in 15 to 20 minutes.