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Rubber. By Drew Werner. Hevea Brasilieness. Natural Rubber comes from the latex that flows in the Hevea Brasilieness (Rubber Tree) Latex is the milky sap that is found in the tree Other plants produce latex, but not all latex is elastic. Hevea Brasilienss. Tree Tapping.
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Rubber By Drew Werner
HeveaBrasilieness • Natural Rubber comes from the latex that flows in the HeveaBrasilieness (Rubber Tree) • Latex is the milky sap that is found in the tree • Other plants produce latex, but not all latex is elastic
Tree Tapping • Tapping for latex is not the same as tapping for other substances • For latex, the bark is stripped off in a downwards spiral around the tree • At the end of the spiral the latex flows through a tap into a cup • Collecting latex is a very slow process, a cup is collected in approximately 3 hours • Once the latex is collected a new strip is made
Treatment of Latex • If left sitting for to long, latex will solidify when in contact with air • In order to prevent this from happening, ammonia is added to the latex to keep it in its liquid state
Vulcanization • Vulcanization is the process of using heat to add sulfur to the unstable latex • The sulfur makes the rubber more resistant to harsh temperatures. • Without sulfur the rubber would become sticky and loose its shape in warm weather, and become brittle in cold weather
Formation • Next is forming the products that are made of rubber • For tires and bigger objects the liquid rubber is poured into a mold • For smaller things like gloves, the preformed mold is dipped into the rubber and dried with a thin coat of rubber around it
Work Cited • www.ehow.com • www.ccmr.cornell.edu • www.bio.ilstu.edu