Various Ways Rubber Was & Is Made
Rubber was originally obtained by cutting bark from trees. It was used for mostly used in South and Central America for over fifteen centuries. The rubber was generally made into small balls and shoes. For a while many thought the ball had little use and was not very important. French scientist Charles de la Condmine thought of way to expand the manufacturing of rubber. He invented waterproof rubber cloth. The first known use of rubber was in 1763 as a turpentine solvent. In 1769 rubber was promoted even more. Rubber coated cloth was a key development of balloons in the 1780’s and 90’s, followed by the making of suspenders in 1803. In 1820 Thomas Hancock invented the masticator which helped launch the manufacturing of rubber even further. The masticator had metal teeth that shredded rubber scraps. These scraps then adhered into solid rubber that could be shaped, pressed into various molds, or made into long sheet of rubber. This masticator made manufacturing rubber pliable which opened the doors to the rubber industry.
Vulcanization
During the 1830’s manufacturing rubber became a serious problem. In the winter time became rigid and hard. In the summer time it became very hot and would start to melt. An American inventor named Charles Goodyear solved this problem in 1830. He heated the rubber with sulfur and white lead to make the material harder. With this method, the rubber was durable in all type of weathers. Goodyear would soon make the process vulcanization. This process laid the basis of the modern rubber industry.
The Modern Rubber Industry
In the 1950’s West Germany adopted America’s petroleum based technology for synthetic rubber. Over the next decade, rubber factories were established in Britain, Italy, France, Japan and even Brazil were it was all started. Synthetic rubber actually took over natural rubber in the 1960’s. Despite the growing competition from Japan the American synthetic rubber industry maintained the leading position. In 1973 there was a huge oil crisis. The rubber production was hit hard by quadrupling prices.
Processing natural rubber consists of the following steps:
Processing Synthetic rubber consists of the following steps:
Vulcanization
During the 1830’s manufacturing rubber became a serious problem. In the winter time became rigid and hard. In the summer time it became very hot and would start to melt. An American inventor named Charles Goodyear solved this problem in 1830. He heated the rubber with sulfur and white lead to make the material harder. With this method, the rubber was durable in all type of weathers. Goodyear would soon make the process vulcanization. This process laid the basis of the modern rubber industry.
The Modern Rubber Industry
In the 1950’s West Germany adopted America’s petroleum based technology for synthetic rubber. Over the next decade, rubber factories were established in Britain, Italy, France, Japan and even Brazil were it was all started. Synthetic rubber actually took over natural rubber in the 1960’s. Despite the growing competition from Japan the American synthetic rubber industry maintained the leading position. In 1973 there was a huge oil crisis. The rubber production was hit hard by quadrupling prices.
Processing natural rubber consists of the following steps:
- Companies begin by obtaining the latex fluid, which means tapping the sap from the rubber trees, filtering the latex and then packaging it in drums for export or processing.
- They make smoked sheets of latex rubber. They clump the latex by adding acid, roll the clumped fluid into sheets in a mill to remove water, and then they dry, smoke and export the sheets.
- The latex is chemically treated and heated at low temperatures to prevulcanize it. Prevulcanized latex is easier to transport and can be converted to regular rubber later by gentle heating.
Processing Synthetic rubber consists of the following steps:
- Extrusion: Rubber polymers are heated and mechanically mixed in a long chamber, forced through a small opening and vulcanized or cured. This method is used to make large strands for compression molding.
- Injection molding: The rubber strips are heated and mechanically mixed in a chamber, forced under high pressure into a mold. The rubber is steam vulcanized in the mold and then cooled. Once cooled, the rubber product is released from the mold.
- Compression molding: The rubber strips are compressed around a mold under pressure and vulcanized to form to the mold. The cooled product is then removed from the mold.
Fun Facts on Rubber!
•Rubber got its name, rubber, in 1770 when in England a man named Joseph Priestly discovered it could be used to rub off pencil marks.
•Before patenting the masticator Hancock called it the “pickling machine” to keep his invention a secret.
•The process of Vulcanization is named after the roman god Vulcan, who is the god of fire.
•Before patenting the masticator Hancock called it the “pickling machine” to keep his invention a secret.
•The process of Vulcanization is named after the roman god Vulcan, who is the god of fire.