Rubber products and those made of rubber are often very similar: they have practically the same density, texture, and physical properties. However, the materials themselves are fundamentally different.
Rubber began to be used in 1823 as an impregnation for raincoats, which were invented by C. Mackintosh.
Rubber
There are two types of raw materials: natural and artificial. Natural rubber is obtained from the latex of rubber plants that grow in Latin America, and these include the following types of trees:
- hevea;
- rubber ficuses;
- varieties of landolphia.
Artificial rubber is called synthetic. It is based on the synthesis of isoprene and butyllithium using a chemical catalyst. In the production of synthetic rubber, petroleum derivatives are also used as a solvent. It was first received in 1920, and in 1931 began its serial production on an industrial scale. Currently, there are the following types of synthetic rubbers:
- styrene butadiene;
- polybutadiene;
- polyisoprene;
- butyl rubber;
- ethylene-propylene;
- chloroprene;
- butadiene - nitrile.
Rubber
Rubber is obtained by vulcanizing rubber and adding various chemical elements that are designed to increase the strength of the material. The first rubber appeared in 1839 by vulcanization under the influence of sulfur on rubber, in which the network structures are strengthened at the molecular level.
When synthesizing rubber with the use of synthetic rubber, a material is obtained that has improved resistance to aggressive media, such as:
- liquids with a high octane content (gasoline, kerosene);
- refined petroleum products (various types of oils).
Also, rubber has much better characteristics in relation to mechanical stress on it from external factors. It has a much denser structure in relation to rubber, due to which it has become widespread in all sectors of the national economy.
Due to its artificial origin, rubber is resistant to various atmospheric influences. Among other things, it has dielectric properties. But the main difference between natural and artificial rubber from rubber is the increased plasticity of the rubber mass. It is specially added to rubber during production to add flexibility and ductility. Pure rubber is almost never used due to its low strength, but when added to rubber, a very strong, wear-resistant material is obtained.
