Rubber

Introduction
The rubber is a very important engineering material for
any nation as it is widely used for military accessories,
the most important one being tyre industry
India is the 5
th
largest natural rubber producing country in
the world.
An English man used the term rubber when he observed
that the substance could be used for removing the pencil
marks.
Types of Rubber
Natural Rubber

Synthetic Rubber
Natural Rubber
This variety of Rubber is obtained from latex or a viscous
milky juice tapped from rubber trees.
These trees grow in hot moist climate.
A rubber is a fast growing large tree.
The natural rubber has high strength and good
resistance to tear and flex cracking.
But it is easily affected by gasolines and solvents.The
process of obtaining natural rubber is obtained by :
a) Plantation
b) Tapping Latex
c) Purification
d) Coagulation
Synthetic Rubber
The term synthetic or artificial rubber was conceived
through research and development as a polymer which
could be used to replace the natural rubber.
Even as early 1940 there were several polymers on the
market which could be used as replacements for the
natural rubber in some applications.
The real beginning of a Synthetic rubber industry then
started in USA,Germany and other foreign countries.
Vulcanization of Rubber
The crude rubber becomes soft and sticky in summer
and becomes hard and brittle in winter. For making the
rubber fit for use for all the seasons, the crude rubber is
to be vulcanised.For this purpose a small quantity of
sulphur is added to crude rubber and the mixture is
heated. A very complicated chemical process takes place
and the rubber becomes hard and resistant to the
changes in temperature. This process is known as
Vulcanization.If the percentage of sulphur varies from 1
5% soft rubber is obtained and if it is about 30 , the hard
rubber is obtained.
The heating temperature for soft rubber and hard rubber
are respectively 130 170 degrees.
Pigments for Rubber
SL.NO Colour Pigment
1 Black Carbon black
2 Brown Antimony oxide
3 Green Chromium oxide
4 Red Ferric oxide
5 White Zinc oxide
6 Yellow Lead Chromate
Properties of Rubber
It can absorb shocks due to impact.
It can contain liquids and gases.
It is bad conductor of heat.
It creeps or extends or undergoes slow deformation in
length as a result of applied force or stress.
It is plastic in nature and hence it can be moulded to
desired shapes.
It is possible to alter considerably its properties by the
process of vulcanizing and compounding.
It possess the quality of flexibility.
It resists abrasion in a better way.
The natural rubber should be protected from sunlight and
should not be allowed to come in close contact with
oils,organic liquids(etc).
The Synthetic rubber offers great resistance to acids,
petroleum products, (etc)
Uses of Rubber
It is used as a gasket to make doors and windows air
tight as in case of refrigerators,vehicles,air conditioned
rooms ( etc).
It is used as a lining material for parts of machines
subjected to heavy frictions and for tanks to be used for
chemical processes.
It is used for preparing tyres of vehicles and machines.
It is used to prepare rubber threads which are useful as
wires,ropes etc.
It is widely used for absorbing shocks and for reducing
vibrations in machines
The synthetic rubber in particular may be used for hose
pipes to carry petrol and kerosine oils,gaskets,insulation
for high tension wires, etc.
Average consumption of
Rubber for various items
SL.NO Description Percentage
1 Automotive tyres and tubes 52%
2 Cycle tyres and tubes 14%
3 Footwear 11%
4 Belts and Hoses 16%
5 Miscellaneous 7%
Total 100 %