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Rubber

Chemistry

Rubber

Reviewed by:

Ritika Singla

Introduction

You must have used an eraser while writing or an elastic hair band to tie your hair. Do you know what they are made of? Well, all these are made of rubber. Rubber is one of the most important products of rainforests which we have been using for over 1000 years in various fields. Initially, we used to get rubber from natural sources only, but due to its versatile uses, natural rubber was not able to fulfill all our needs. Soon we felt the need for synthetic rubber production.

What is Rubber?

Rubber is a polymer which can stretch and shrink. It occurs naturally and can be synthesized as well. We have been using rubber products since ancient times. But during the 19th century it became a highly useful industrial raw product for various purposes.

Types of Rubber

Rubber can be divided into following two types based on its origin –

Natural Rubber
Synthetic Rubber

There is a wide variety of synthetic rubber available such as EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) rubber, commercial black rubber, SBR (Styrene butadiene rubber), NBR (nitrile butadiene rubber), IIR (Isobutylene-isoprene) etc.

What is Natural Rubber?

Natural rubber is a natural polymer of organic compound isoprene obtained from the bark of tropical and subtropical trees. The milky white fluid which is obtained from trees is called latex. This is the reason natural rubber is also known as latex. Natural rubber is also called India rubber, Amazonian rubber and caucho. Leading producers of natural rubber are Thailand and Indonesia.

Monomer Unit of Natural Rubber – 2-methyl 1,3-butadiene (it is also called isoprene)

Structure of Natural Rubber – It is called polyisoprene or cis-1,4-polyisoprene. Its structure is given below –

Preparation of Natural Rubber

Natural rubber or rubber latex is directly collected from plants. Then it is processed for common use by various methods. It is a polymer of 2-methyl 1,3-butadiene (or isoprene).

Vulcanization of Rubber

Reaction of natural rubber with sulfur molecule (S8) in presence of heat to improve its properties is called vulcanization of rubber. In general, natural rubber is very sticky in nature, but vulcanization removes its stickiness and enhances its qualities. Vulcanization of rubber was discovered by Charles Goodyear in 1839.

Comparison Between Natural Rubber and Vulcanized Rubber

Natural Rubber	Vulcanized Rubber
It is soft and sticky.	It is hard and non-sticky.
It has low tensile strength.	It has high tensile strength.
It has lower elasticity.	It has higher elasticity.
It can be used over a narrow range of temperature (10-60⁰C).	It can be used over a wide range of temperatures (-40⁰C to 100⁰C).
It has low wear and tear resistance.	It has high wear and tear resistance.
It is soluble in solvents like ether, CCl4, petrol etc.	It is insoluble in all common solvents.

Synthetic Rubber

Synthetic rubber is a man made polymer. It is synthesized under controlled conditions by petrochemicals. Many types of synthetic rubber have been synthesized. So, all polymers or synthetic rubbers have different monomer units as well. Although the basic monomer unit for synthetic rubber can be 2-chloro -1,3-butadien or 1,3-butadiene. Neoprene is a synthetic rubber made up of monomer unit chloroprene.

Preparation of Synthetic Rubber

Over 20 types of synthetic rubbers are available today. Out of these we are describing preparation of two synthetic rubbers which are part of your syllabus as well –

Neoprene

Neoprene is a synthetic rubber formed by the free radical addition polymerization of chloroprene. Thus, its monomer unit is 2-chloro-1,3-butadiene. Polymerization reaction is given below –

Buna S (SBR)

Buna S is also a synthetic rubber. In Buna S, Bu stands for butadiene, Na for sodium or natrium (Latin name) and S for styrene. It is also called styrene-butadiene. It is known by its abbreviation SBR (styrene butadiene rubber) as well. It is an additional co-polymer. Its monomer units are butadiene and styrene.

Difference Between Natural Rubber and Synthetic Rubber

Natural Rubber	Synthetic Rubber
It is a natural polymer.	It is a synthetic or man made polymer.
It is obtained from plants.	It is made from petrochemicals.
Its monomer unit is 2-methyl 1,3-butadiene or isoprene.	Monomer units are different in different synthetic rubbers.
It has higher impurities than synthetic rubber.	It has a very low amount of impurities.
Its properties either cannot be changed or are very difficult to change.	Synthetic rubbers can be customized according to need.
It's eco-friendly as obtained from the bark of plants.	It's not eco-friendly but can be recycled.

Uses of Rubber

Both natural and synthetic rubber are useful in various fields. Even if you look around, you will find many things around you in which rubber has been used. Few uses of rubber are stated below –

Uses of SBR

SBR is used in pneumatic tires.
SBR is used in chewing gum.
SBR is used in gaskets.
SBR is used in shoe heels and soles as well.
SBR is one of the cheapest resins to bind pigmented coatings.
SBR is used in place of PVA in construction as a binding agent.
SBR is used in waterproofing systems.
SBR is used by speaker driver manufacturers as well.
SBR is used as rubber cutting boards
SBR is used in batteries as well.
SBR is used in heat exchangers as well.

Uses of Neoprene

It is relatively inert than natural and other synthetic rubbers which makes it suitable for hoses, gaskets, corrosion resistant coatings.
It can be used as a base for adhesives.
It is used for noise cancellation.
It is used in face masks and gloves.
Neoprene foam is also used in many things.
It is used in construction of buildings as a load bearing base.
It is most commonly used for making clothing for aquatic activities.
It is used in laptop, tablet holders, remote controls, mouse pads etc.
It is used in electric pianos with hammer tips.
It is used in wheelchairs as well.

Uses of Vulcanized Rubber

It is resistant to abrasion which makes it suitable for conveyor belts.
It is used in vehicle tires.
It is used in pumps.
Its elasticity makes it useful for machines as shock absorbers.
It is used in balloons, balls and cushions.
Its resistance to water has made it useful for rainwear and diving gear.
It is inert towards most fluid chemicals which led its use in chemical and medicinal tubing.
It is used in railroad tank cars and lining for storage tanks.

It was all about rubber, if you are looking for study material of chemistry then register yourself on Vedantu or download Vedantu learning app for class 6-10, IITJEE and NEET. By doing so you can get access to free PDFs of NCERT Solutions of Chemistry, Mock tests, Revision notes etc.

FAQs on Rubber

1. What is vulcanisation of the rubber?

Vulcanisation of the rubber is the process of hardening the rubber. The term was first used for the reaction of natural rubber with sulfur molecules. The natural rubber is generally very adhesive in its natural condition and hence the process of vulcanisation is used to remove this adhesiveness from it and for enhancing the qualities of the natural rubber. In the year 1839, the process for the vulcanisation of rubber was discovered by Charles Goodyear. At Vedantu you can find everything about it in detail.

2. Is the topic of rubber hard to understand?

All the topics covered in the syllabus are prepared by taking many things into consideration, and one of those things is that it has to be of the level that students can easily understand, comprehend, and grasp. And the same goes for the topic of Rubber and its vulcanization, the difficulty level of this topic is of the level that students can understand, it is neither too easy nor too hard. Because if it is easy then it does not add much value to the students and the same goes if the topic is too hard.

3. How can i understand the topic of rubber along with its type and vulcanisation?

If you wish to master the topic of rubber, its types and vulcanisation, then all you have to do is to first read the topic in detail, study it, if you find any portion difficult then read that portion once again. After going through the topic read you must solve the questions of the same to test your understanding of the topic. To make this process simple and easy Vedantu provides the complete explanation of the rubber along with its types and vulcanisation, and it all comes free of cost.

4. Where can i find the complete explanation of the rubber, its type and vulcanisation?

If you are looking for a clear, concise and complete explanation of the Rubber,, its type and Vulcanisation, then you have already landed in the right place. Yes, Vedantu provides the explanation of the Rubber, its type and Vulcanisation, in a detailed manner. And this explanation of rubber is provided by the expert teachers and it is absolutely free for all the students. The Explanation that Vedantu provides includes all the things which are necessary for understanding the topic of Rubber.

5. Why should i refer to the explanation provided by the vedantu for rubber, its type and vulcanisation?

Rubber , its types, and Vulcanisation is the topic of science, and the thing about the topics of science is that it has its own language and Vocabulary, which sometimes can become difficult to understand for the students. And hence the explanation that Vedantu provides for the rubber, its types and Vulcanisation is very easy to understand, comprehend and follow. And such an easy explanation is provided by the expert teachers of the science subject, who possess years of experience in teaching the subject of science in a simple and understandable language.