Rubber History
Where does rubber come from ?
The hevea tree - hevea brasiliensis - is originating from Brazil. It
was exploited in the wild state there till the beginning of the XXth
century. When a tree matures at the age of 6 or 7 years, the
latex is collected from a diagonal incision in the tree trunk i.e.
the tapping process. This action does not affect the health of the
tree and the tree wound later heals itself.
On the other hand, the hévéaculture developed from the end of the
XIXth century in Southeast Asia: in 1876, seedlings of hevea were
shipped to India, Ceylon, Singapore and Java and the year after in
Malaysia.
Today, the production in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia represents
about 70 % of the world production of natural rubber.
Who were the first users of rubber ?
The Indians of Central and South America (Incas, Mayas,
Olmecs, Aztecs, …) are known to have used the unique properties of rubber
for religious or magical ceremonies e.g. numerous figurines and
balls made from rubber moulded were found in the heart of the sacred
wells. Indians also found the incredible propriety of waterproofing
and used it for their clothes and shoes. At the end of XVth century,
Christopher Columbus was certainly the first European assisting to
the famous Aztec game with rubber balls representing the Sun, most
important Aztec god.
Progressively these balls were exported via the Mississippi to the
Great Lakes and Haiti.
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Did you know that …
Millions of persons chew every day on rubber. The chewing
gum is realized from rubber with addition of sugar and
flavouring. Its mode of manufacturing is close to that of
the other rubber articles.
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When was rubber first imported into Europe ?
The first scientific study on rubber was realized by the French
academician Charles de la Condamine in the XVIIIth century within
the framework of a mission on the South American continent and by
François Fresneau, engineer in Cayenne. In spite of the enthusiasm
of the authors for the extraordinary properties of the rubber, they
will not succeed in interesting their contemporaries in the use of
this “new” substance
Caoutchouc/Rubber: What are the origins of
the French and English terms ?
The French rubber term comes from the Indian " ca-o-tchu " word or
"
wood which cries ".
In England during the XVIIIth century, Joseph Priestley, best known
for his discovery of oxygen, noted that pencil marks could be "rubbed
out" by the substance. From this early use, rubber derived its name.
What were first rubber applications in Europe
?
The first rubber applications date from the end of the XVIIIth
century and were mainly erasers and medical probes. Then, the rubber
was used to waterproof some textiles.
The first full bandages appeared in 1834, and the first tyres not
before the end of the XIXth century.
Why 1839 is an essential date for rubber
manufacturing ?
Prior to 1839, the properties of rubber were dictated by the
surrounding temperature. During the hot summer, rubber was sticky
and malleable, while it became hard and brittle in the winter. This
was finally remedied by the unexpected discovery of the process of vulcanisation. A 1839 winter evening,
C. Goodyear dropped
accidentally a mixture of rubber, white lead and sulphur upon a hot
stove. When it was removed, the material was no longer affected by
temperature. Despite stretching, it always returned to its original
shape. This phenomenon was further called: “vulcanisation” in
reference of the Roman god of fire and metallurgy. Thanks to this
discovery, it became possible to use rubber in raincoats, overshoes,
and many other products, including tyres.
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Did you know that …
The first rubber paving to reduce traffic road noise was made in
1870 in London in front of the St Pancrace hotel not to disturb the
travellers.
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What is synthetic rubber ? How it is produced
?
The first synthesis of rubber was carried out in 1909 in Germany by
F. Hoffmann. The scientific research significantly developed during
the First World War because of the Germany blocus. The first
elastomer was put on the US market in 1931 by Dupont de Nemours
under the brand, Neoprene. The development of synthetic rubber
increased during the Second World War.
Synthetic rubber has its origin in two gases: butadiene, a by-product
of petroleum refining, and styrene, captured either in the coking
process or as a petroleum refining by-product. When the two are
mixed in the presence of soapsuds in a reactor, liquid latex results.
The dry rubber in this milky liquid is then coagulated into crumbs,
washed, dried, and baled ready for shipment.
The total production of synthetic rubber into the EU amounted to
more than 2.8 million tonnes in the year 2003 i.e. about 25 % of the
world production.
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