Rubber is an organic compound, whose main components are carbon and hydrogen.Get him out of special woody plants, often called of rubber.Such flora grow in the tropics.Their bodies (fruit, leaves, branches, trunk, roots) contain latex.This is not the milky liquid juice plants, botanists still doubt the specifics of its importance for the life of the plant organism.It is made of latex in the coagulation process turns solid elastic mass, which is a natural and natural rubber.
history of the discovery of natural rubber
contribution of Christopher Columbus to the development of world civilization is not limited to the great geographical discoveries.It was his ship, the bailiff to the island of Hispaniola in 1493, took to Spain the first product of the rubber.It was flexible jumpy ball, which locals made from sap of rubber trees - plants found on the banks of the Amazon.Seeing as the Indians enthusiastically threw wondrous thing, which is reaching the earth, and even bounced, as a living, like to make a jump, the Spaniards was seriously surprised.After trying to hold the ball jumpy, they came to the conclusion that it is quite hard, but also drew attention to its stickiness and distinctive smell of smoke.
Application rubber Indians are not limited.Local tribes are not only playing the ball, but it was used in various religious ceremonies.And the sap of the tree from which it was obtained, considered sacred and called it "rubber product", which means "tears of the tree."
Among the curiosities brought Columbus to Spain, there was also this unusual ball.From that time began the history of the use of rubber.
first attempts to use
But the Europeans have not paid due attention to the wonder of the Indians.And up to the XVIII century has not thought about how broad and diverse scope of rubber.Only when the members of the French expedition to visit the tropical forests of South America, he was again brought to Europe, it drew attention.Of even greater interest came when French scientist Condamine Sh, speaking at the Assembly of the Paris Academy of Sciences, showed samples of this material showed the possible application methods and its products.
Widespread use of natural rubber in Europe started around 1770, when the school has a new accessory - gummilastik, which is used to erase the pencil lines.
Then began an active search for possible areas of use of rubber.That by the time the invention relates braces and rubber thread.A Scottish inventor Charles Macintosh guessed lay a thin layer of rubber between two layers of fabric, thus obtaining a waterproof fabric.This material had a crazy popularity of the cloaks it got its name from the inventor.They were called Macs.
collapse of the rubber industry
Initial attempts to improve the production of waterproof footwear failed.Galoshes, though have become quite fashionable for a short period of time, but practicality is not different.In the cold they can crack, and in the heat almost melted and gave off an unpleasant odor.
inventors enthusiasm did not last long.In one of those years in many areas of Europe was a very hot summer.Under the influence of high temperature rubber products industry turned into a horrible-smelling mass.All enterprises in this industry then went bankrupt.
Opening of Charles Goodyear
And no longer be thought of galoshes and Macs, if not persistence American Charles Goodyear.It is dedicated to finding ways to create a rubber good material for many years.
Goodyear conducted many experiments by mixing rubber with almost everything.He added to it, and salt and pepper, and sand, and even soup.Having spent all their money and power, the inventor has already been lost hope.But his efforts were crowned with success yet.Adding sulfur compound, he found that the strength and flexibility, and improved thermal stability.
Thus, he was able to improve the rubber.Properties and application new connection again become the object of study scientists and industrialists.The resulting material Goodyear tires we are called, and the process by which it is derived - curing rubber.
rubber boom
After the sensational discovery of the scientist fell on a happy numerous offers to buy the patent for the invention, the material.Application of rubber for rubber production is extensive.To this end, almost all countries began to seek ways to grow in their area of rubber trees.In this regard, the most fortunate of Brazil, because that is what the state was the owner of vast stocks of such plants.The Brazilian Government is making a lot of effort to remain a monopoly in this area, is strictly prohibited the export of seeds and young plants rubber trees.For this crime was even introduced the death penalty.But the Englishman
Vikgem having spy practice, managed to get to the banks of the Amazon, where secretly extracted and sent to Britain 70,000 rubber tree seeds.And although local breeders are not just happen on the territory of a different climate to grow a tropical plant, thanks to their efforts some time later appeared on the market a cheaper and affordable English rubber.
Meanwhile, the use of natural rubber has become so wide that the amount of rubber exceeded 100 000. It has been launched production of a huge number of new products: conveyor belts and insulation, "gum" for linen, rubber shoes, childrenballoons and so on.. But the main use of natural rubber has been associated with the automotive industry when the first vehicle-invented, and then the tires.
Use of rubber and rubber in our country has long been based on the production of them from foreign raw materials.Only when discovered in Kazakhstan dandelions, the roots of which contain rubber, the first rubber products from domestic material.But it was a very time-consuming process, as the selection of rubber from dandelion roots are very time consuming due to the low concentration (16-28%).
synthetic rubber
extraction of natural rubber does not meet the high demands of the population in the goods of this material.Now a much larger scale is the production of synthetic rubber.
SV Lebedev in 1910 was the first time a synthetic rubber.The material for the production of butadiene was that stood out from ethanol.Later, by performing the polymerization reaction using the metallic sodium was obtained butadiene synthetic rubber.
industrial production of synthetic rubber
In 1925, SV Lebedev has set for itself the task of finding an industrial process for the synthesis of rubber.Two years later it was successfully solved.Laboratory methods have been synthesized the first few kilograms of rubber.It Lebedev began to study the properties of rubber and developing recipes extract the necessary consumer products.
and in subsequent years the use of rubber was an important task for the SV Lebedev.It was on his method to the world's first factory producing the material was received the first batch of material for industrial scale.
In the period from 1932 to 1990, the Soviet Union has been a leader in terms of production in the industry.The use of synthetic rubber allowed to expand the range of rubber products, including: products made of soft rubber, shoe soles, various pipes and hoses, sealants and adhesives, paints and other latex-based.
Synthetic rubber: properties and applications
now range of synthetic rubber increased significantly when compared with the middle of the XX century.Its various species can be very different chemical composition and consumer properties.Classification of synthetic rubber based on the difference of the monomers that are used in its preparation.Thus, there are isoprene, butadiene, chloroprene, and other.According to another classification, rubbers are divided into types depending on the characteristic group of atoms, which are included in their composition.For example, the known types of polysulfide, silicone rubber, and so on. D.
basic method of producing synthetic rubber - polymerization of dienes and alkenes.The most common monomers in this case can be called butadiene, isoprene, ethylene, acrylonitrile and others.
Some types of polysulfide, polyurethane rubber produced during the polycondensation reaction.
Rubbers general and special purpose
In accordance with the applications of rubber materials can be divided into general and special purpose.Representatives of the first group have a combination of properties which make it possible to use them for the production of various products, the elastic properties of which should occur at ordinary temperatures.But the use of synthetic rubber for special purposes involves maintaining the properties and in extreme situations, for example, under the influence of frost and fire, ozone and oxygen, and so on. D.
Isoprene rubber: application
By isoprene rubber composition is very similar to natural ones.Therefore, the range of properties of these substances largely coincide.
Its disadvantages include poor resistance to high temperatures, ozone, and direct sunlight.Low cohesive strength rubber based on them - a property that makes it less popular isoprene rubber.Application it difficult due to increased stickiness, lack of framing and strength.But monolithic products that do not require large amounts of compounds parts isoprene rubbers are used extensively.
Rubber patches
The use of rubber in medicine also occurs.The most common product on the medical industry, resulting from the use of rubber - a patch.It is a mixture of rubber and concomitant medicinal substances.The advantages of such patches:
- long preservation of tack;
- compatibility with many medicines;
- harmlessness;
- usability.
The production process consists in dissolving the rubber in one of the 12 parts of gasoline.And then introduced into the solution other related components: Turpentine (increases stickiness), lanolin (prevents drying), zinc oxide (weakens irritation), drugs (creating a therapeutic effect).
Implants rubber
truly vital rubber products can be called implants of human organs.The use of rubber in their manufacture is relatively recent and was the beginning of a new era in the development of medicine.
perform tracheal implant materials poliaktilatov, polysiloxanes, polyamides.Artificial heart and its parts are made of polyurethane and polioksilanov.Polyethylene and polypropylene are the material for producing the implants of the esophagus, and polyvinyl chloride is the major component of the implant other portions of the digestive system.The artificial blood vessels made of polyethylene terephthalate, polytetrafluoroethylene and polypropylene.Find people with disabilities new bones and joints help polyacrylates, polyamides, polyurethanes.
The use of rubber in industrial goods
value of rubber in the national economy is enormous.However, the use of natural rubber in its purest form - a rarity.It is most commonly used as a rubber.Products made of this material are found in everyday life at every turn.This wire insulation, and the manufacture of footwear and clothing, and tires, and more.
used in the shoe industry, as a rule, the following types of rubber: porous (sole), leather-like (the lower part of the shoe), transparent (heels).
The use of natural rubber and synthetic analogues are not accidentally become ubiquitous.They are responsible for most human needs, being one of the most versatile materials.
