Natural rubber, also called India rubber, latex or caoutchouc, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene that function as elastomers, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. It is harvested mainly from the Para rubber tree through a tapping process that collects latex, which manufacturers then refine for commercial use, supporting a global industry of growers, processors and manufacturers built around this raw material. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
SectorNatural rubber production 1 FAQs
Why did rubber production move from Brazil to Southeast Asia?
Leaf blight blocked Brazilian plantations, while blight-free plantations succeeded in Ceylon and Malaya.
Wild rubber trees grow mixed with many other species in the natural forest, and that dispersion protects them from a leaf blight that destroys them when planted in concentrated rows. Mass production from plantations therefore could not be done in Brazil. British experimenters in the 1870s transplanted seedlings via Kew Gardens in London to their Southeast Asian colonies of Ceylon and Malaya, where they succeeded in growing large, blight-free plantations.
Connections
In Sector
Additional Source Wikipedia: Global Industry Classification StandardGICS: Commodity Chemicals
Sources
1. Wikipedia, Natural rubber
lead sectionQuote, lead section
Natural rubber is used extensively in many applications and products, either alone or in combination with other materials.
Wikipedia: Global Industry Classification Standard
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.