CHEMISTRY

FORM 5

NATURAL
RUBBER
CAN YOU GUESS WHAT IS THIS ?

Rubber band
 Natural Rubber

• Is a natural polymer that

obtain from the latex of the
rubber tree.
 NATURAL POLYMERS

• Are polymer that exist in nature.

• They are not man-made.
• They are organic compounds.
• Eg: Starch,protein,cellulose &
natural rubber.
Note;
Polymers are very large molecules formed
from smaller molecule called monomers.
 NATURAL RUBBER

Rubber
tapper
Rubber tree
leaves

Rubber tree

Production
of latex
 MONOMER OF NATURAL RUBBER
• The monomer in natural rubber is
isoprene molecule.
• Its IUPAC name is 2-methylbut-
1,3-diene.
• Its structural formula is
H CH3 H H
H C C C C H
Natural rubber molecule
• When isoprene molecules join
together, they form a polymer called
polyisoprene.
• Polyisoprene is the molecule found in
natural rubber molecule.
 The structural formula of
polyisoprene or natural rubber

or
 Task:

Find out the monomer for

protein, cellulose and
starch …
NATURAL POLYMERS
Natural polymer Monomer

Natural rubber Isoprene

Starch Glucose

Cellulose Glucose

Protein Amino acid

 Properties of
natural rubber
Property Description
 Natural rubber is
 Elasticity elastic. It will return
(decreases over time) to its original shape
after you stretch it.

 Easily oxidised by  Natural rubber is

air easily oxidized by
oxygen, in the
atmosphere. Oxygen
“adds” to double bond
between carbon
atoms.

CONTINUE
 Properties of
natural rubber
Property Description
 Effect of heat  Natural rubber sensitive to
heat.When heated, it
becomes soft and sticky.
When cooled, it becomes
hard and brittle.

 Acidic and alkaline solvents

 Effect of solvents can attack and destroy
natural rubber.
• Do you know that natural rubber is
used to make household product,
medicine, engineering as well as in
the construction and automobile
industries ?
 USES OF
NATURAL RUBBER

Rubber
Balloon tile

Eraser Mask Glove Surgical

glove

Pillow
Latex tubing Scrub boot Tyre
Mattress

Swing
Rubber soles
Nipple
 LATEX
• Latex is a white milk-like fluid that
flows out after the bark of the
rubber tree is cut.
• Latex is a colloid.
• It consists of rubber
particles dispersed in water.
• The rubber particles are so small
that they remain suspended in water.
•Sometimes latex needs
to be turn into solid
before its can be
processed. How to
solidify the latex?
Do you know that latex
is a waste product of
rubber tree?
 RUBBER PARTICLE
• A rubber particle is made up of
many long chain rubber molecules
enclosed by a protein-like
membrane which is negatively
charged.
Rubber particle/molecule
Coagulation process of
latex

1. The repulsion between the negatively-

charged particles prevents the rubber
particles from coming close to each other.
Hence, latex could not coagulate.
Coagulation process of
latex

2. When an acid is added, the

hydrogen ions, H+ neutralize the
negative charges on the protein
membrane.
Coagulation process of
latex

3. The rubber particles can now come

close together. This enables them to
collide with one another resulting in
the breakage of the protein
membranes.
Coagulation process of
latex

4. The rubber molecules combine

with one another and entangle and
thus causing the latex to coagulate.
• The coagulation of latex will also occur
when it is exposed to air.
• This is because the bacteria from the air
enter the latex.
• The growth and spread of bacteria
produce lactic acid/H+ that causes the
coagulation of latex.
• Due to the slow bacterial action, the
coagulation of latex takes a longer time to
occur.

Rubber scrub
• If latex can coagulate by using acid
such as ethanoic acid,CH3COOH,
how to prevent latex from
coagulating?

Ammonia,NH3
• Latex can be preserved in the liquid state
if ammonia, NH3 solution is added.
• Ammonia solution contains hydroxide ions,
OH- that neutralize the acid produced by
the bacteria.
• Hence, the rubber particles remain
negatively charged and the coagulation is
prevented.
 Vulcanization of rubber
• The properties of natural rubber limit its
uses.
• Its properties can be improved through
vulcanization.
• Vulcanization- is a process whereby rubber is
reacted with sulphur.
• In industrial vulcanization, latex is heated
with sulphur or rubber products are exposed
to disulphur dichloride, S2Cl2.
Write a suitable sentence for each steps to describe vulcanisation.
 Stretching natural
rubber
BEFORE STRETCHING
 Properties of vulcanized and
Vulcanized unvulcanized rubber Unvulcanized
rubber rubber
Similarities

Elastic
Heat and electrical insulator

Differences

More elastic Elasticity Less elastic

Harder Hardness Softer

Stronger Tensile strength Weaker

Can withstand higher Resistance to heat Cannot withstand

temperature higher

Less easily oxidized Resistance to oxidation Easily oxidized

Does not become soft Effect of organic Becomes soft and

and sticky easily solvent sticky easily
 Vulcanisation of rubber
• These improved properties are due to
the presence of cross-linkage of
sulphur atoms between the rubber
molecules.
 Vulcanized rubber
• When vulcanized rubber is stretched
and released, the cross linkages pull
the chain back to their original
arrangement.
• This improves the elasticity and
strength of the rubber.
 Vulcanized rubber

• The presence of sulphur cross-linkage also

increases the size of rubber molecules –
more resistant to heat and organic
solvents.
• Vulcanized rubber has much lesser C=C as
compared to unvulcanized rubber- higher
resistance of vulcanized rubber to
oxidation.
 STRETCHING
VULCANISED RUBBER
THE END