Rubber
Latex is a milky fluid found in the sap of various trees and plants, with heavy concentration in fig trees. The most significant source of latex is found in a Brazilian tree called the Hevea Brazilians. Natural rubber is derived from latex.

Hieroglyphics of the ancient Egyptians and Ethiopians reflect that those civilizations realized that rubber bounced. Indians of South and Central America came to realize that ball is a creation of rubber heated over fire. They were the pioneers to invent galoshes - old-fashioned rubber shoes worn over the shoe when it rains or snow. They poured latex over clay moulds that were then baked.

During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, most scientists, inventors and entrepreneurs gave up working with rubber due to its odd characteristics. However, the perseverance of a few individuals pushed the innovation of rubber as the first plastic product used by modern man. The general demand was for pneumatic tyres - air filled. A tyre filled with air under pressure provided comfort, and reduced skidding and noise.

Sources of Rubber
Nowadays, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand are the major producers of natural rubber. Given it vigorous replanting program, Malaysia has become the largest source of this raw material.

The latex is held in small vessels between the timber and bark of the tree. Tapping the sap or latex from the rubber tree involves cutting a precise angled channel in the bark as much as half the circumference of the tree. A container is placed at the lowest point of the cut to catch the flow of latex. Trees cannot be continuously tapped: they must have a rest from the cycle which is why plantations have strict tapping schedules.

Rubber processing
The collected latex catches bacteria and turns from liquid to a thick mass.
Then it is processed by one of two methods:

• The first involves concentrating the rubber to sixty percent solids content, into which stabilizers are added. The rubber is then shipped for as a raw material for manufacturers of rubber gloves, pharmaceuticals, toys, foam rubber and other products.
  
• Alternatively, weak acids are utilized to thicken the liquid latex. The coagulant is then passed through rollers that squeeze out excess liquid, and roll the rubber out in sheet format. Subsequently, the sheets are washed and left to drip dry. They are then placed in a smoke house, where the heat from wood fires dries them out as to inhibit the spread of mildew that is often a cause of a hot climate.
  The sheets are treated in the smoke house for a period ranging from six to twelve days at high temperature. After which they are pressed into bales and wrapped in rubber sheets. Special bale paint is used to coat it. The sheets are stenciled to test the quality of the rubber, its weight and destination.

Suppliers of Rubber
In mid 1960's, the increasing competition from synthetic rubber, led the Malaysian Board to set up a standard requirement that, lead to a superior product.

Selecting trees that are rich in latex, beside using improved fertilizers, and introducing hormones to increase yield, Malaysia managed to establish a successful replanting program. This has positioned Malaysia as a leading rubber provider, with 45 % of all natural rubber production, and 17% of total rubber production, including synthetic.

Although Indonesia is still a major supplier of natural rubber, insufficient replanting led to its output reduction. Nonetheless, new plantations in Africa, Philippines, and Europe, have filled in the gap.

Within the last decade, Australia has used more 60: 40 synthetic rubber to that of natural rubber. The main synthetic types are styrene butadiene (SBR) and polybutadiene (BR). Both of which are locally produced.

Both are produced at petrochemical plants. Despite SBR's lack of rubber resilience and strength, along with the difficulties to process, it is highly useful. In parallel, BR has provided an alternative improved source of synthetic rubber that carries similar characteristics to natural rubber.

Despite post World War II concerns that synthetic rubber would replace natural rubber, the increasing world wide- demand for rubber has reflected the need for both