As the owner of a manufacturing business, you have probably used rubber parts and components more than once. As a consumer, you probably have a multitude of rubber products that surround you, whether you are in your car, in your kitchen, or watching television in your living room. Even though rubber is easily one of the most used manufacturing materials there is, a lot of people do not know a great deal about it. Take a look at some of the common curiosities about rubber as a manufacturing product so you can know this material a little better.
How is rubber made exactly?
Natural rubber is created with a natural milky substance that comes from rubber trees and other plants. This substance changes consistency when it is manipulated, so through manufacturing processes, rubber as you probably think of it is formed. Different manipulation techniques will create a rubber that is of different densities.
For example, rubber used to make pencil erasers may have gone through one process while rubber for shoe soles has gone through a different process. While there are a lot of natural rubber products out there on the market, the majority of products are made from a combination of synthetic rubber and natural latex or purely synthetic rubber.
What's the difference between real rubber and synthetic rubber?
Outwardly speaking, you probably will not notice a major difference between real and synthetic rubber. However, the two can be drastically different. Synthetic rubber is made from is a polymer substance that is made from multiple petroleum-based monomers. The monomers naturally bind together but remain flexible much like the atomic compounds in natural rubber, which is why the material feels a lot alike when compared to natural rubber.
What does it mean if a rubber piece has been chemically processed?
A lot of rubber parts and products have been chemically processed, but you may notice some products will specifically tell you that the rubber parts have been chemically processed. With a greater focus among consumers on using natural products, many manufacturers have taken the initiative of letting consumers know that the rubber they have used is not natural just in case. Most synthetic rubber is chemically processed to create a more stabilized rubber product. For example, car parts made out of rubber may have been chemically processed to enhance the density of the rubber so that it can withstand heat.
Share18 October 2018
Hi, my name is David Dotson and the purpose of this blog is to educate others about the manufacturing process. For as long as I can remember, I've always been amazed by how different things are made. It fascinates me to think about the process of taking raw materials and turning them into something useful during fabrication. When I have spare time, I can be found reading about various types of manufacturing and industrial plants to learn how they operate. I wanted to write a blog about my findings so that others could also learn how raw goods are transformed every day into useable products.