Natural Rubber Rubber Tree Sap

Distinct from the sap latex serves as a protective agent seeping out of and sealing over wounds in the tree s bark.
Natural rubber rubber tree sap. Indonesia malaysia and thailand are responsible for around 72 of all natural rubber production. Natural rubber which is also referred to as india rubber or. Natural rubber also called india rubber latex amazonian rubber caucho or caoutchouc as initially produced consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene with minor impurities of other organic compounds plus water thailand and indonesia are two of the leading rubber producers. If you cut into the bark of the hevea brasiliensis or one of the many other types of rubber trees you can collect the latex in a bucket and give objects a simple rubber coating.
In the 1800s most sap to make rubber came from south america. Of all of these trees the best rubber producing tree is h. The rubber tree can only thrive in hot damp regions near the equator so 90 of true rubber production today occurs in these areas. Hevea brasiliensis is the tree that most rubber comes from.
Types of polyisoprene that are used as natural rubbers are classified as elastomers. It takes about six years for a rubber tree to grow to a point where it s economical to harvest the sap which is called latex here s how you tap one. Did you know that the latex used to make natural rubber is actually tree sap. What is natural rubber.
The collector makes a thin diagonal cut to remove a sliver of bark. Other plants that have the special sap called latex are figs ficus elastica castilla panama rubber tree euphorbias lettuce the common dandelion taraxacum kok saghyz russian dandelion scorzonera tau saghyz and guayule. Many consumers think that all rubber is associated with natural rubber but natural rubber is only one type of rubber which includes different synthetic rubbers like epdm silicone polychloroprene flourocarbon butyl sbr and nitrile. Efficient latex harvesting from rubber trees however requires making some precise cuts and a lot of patience while the sap flows.
Within the rubber tree latex is found.