Natural latex has the ability to shrink around the object to be reproduced, so that the smallest detail will be reproduced in the cast. Latex is even being used to help stabilize desert soils to make them suitable for agricultural uses. Natural latex is produced from the Hevea brasilienesis rubber tree and is the protective fluid contained beneath the bark. It is a cloudy white liquid, similar in appearance to cow milk.
It is collected by cutting a thin strip of bark from the tree and allowing the latex to exude into a collecting vessel over a period of hours. Hevea trees mature at five to seven years of age and can be tapped for up to 30 years.
Rubber yields range around a ton per acre 2. Trees often are rested for a period after heavy tapping. Natural latex was once commercially produced in the Amazon in great quantities. In recent times, production of natural latex has moved to Malaysia, Indonesia, and other Far Eastern regions. China and the Philippines both have substantially increased their rubber production as well. Most synthetic rubber is created from two materials, styrene and butadiene.
Both are currently obtained from petroleum. Over a billion pounds ,, kg of this type of rubber was manufactured in the United States in Other synthetic rubbers are made from specialty materials for chemical and temperature resistant applications. Other products containing rubber include footwear, industrial conveyor belts, car fan belts, hoses, flooring, and cables. Products such as gloves or contraceptives are made directly from rubber latex.
Latex paints are essentially a solution of colored pigment and rubber latex. Latex foam is made by beating air into the latex before coagulating it. The Indians of Central and South America used rubber as early as the eleventh century to coat fabric or to make into balls, but it was not until the French scientist Charles de la Condamine visited South America during the s that the first samples were sent back to Europe.
Rubber was given its present English name by the British chemist Joseph Priestley in about The first modern use for rubber was discovered in by a British medical student named James Syme.
He used it to waterproof cloth in order to make the first raincoats, a process patented in by Charles Macintosh. Thomas Hancock devised methods for mechanically working rubber so it could be shaped, and he built England's first rubber factory in The fluid latex lies just beneath the surface of the tree bark. Skilled workers carefully etch a shallow incision to strip away a thin layer of bark and release the liquid into a waiting vessel.
The rubber tree is a perennial which can produce latex for up to 25 years. This allows the farmers to diversify their income sources and keep workers employed. There are biological benefits too; companion crops encourage biodiversity of insects and soil organisms, keep erosion in check, and protect the tree base from cold weather damage.
At Holy Lamb Organics, we use Dunlop latex in our products. Dunlop refers to the process used to transform liquid latex into latex foam. Basically, the liquid is whipped, poured into a mold, and baked. Its open-cell structure makes it breathable and temperature regulating. Dense but springy, and extremely durable, Dunlop latex foam provides the ideal supportive core for pillows, mattresses, and toppers.
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Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Vanessa Richins Myers is an experienced horticulturist, garden writer, and educator.
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