Team Rubber | SP24 CPSC 116 - Production Process

Rubber Production Process: Full Cycle

Plantation

The production process begins at rubber tree plantations, typically concentrated in tropical regions, with one hotspot Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia and Thailand. These plantations are often owned by large corporations with many local field workers.

Harvesting & Transport to Factory

The actual raw material of rubber, latex, is contained inside the bark and extracted through cuts on the bark known as "tapping." Trees must first grow for 5-6 years and can then latex be periodically harvested for the next 20-30 years.

After harvesting, raw latex must first be coagulated by adding chemicals such as ammonia, and then, after drying, transported to a production facility. There, they undergo one of four main manufacturing processes: extrusion, latex dipping, molding, or calendaring, depending on their desired form)

Extrusion

Extrusion involves feeding rubber into an extruder for shaping, a process suited for producing large quantities at low cost. Common products include cords and tubings.

Latex Dipping

Latex dipping involves immersing objects in latex, which produces a thin covering on complex shapes unable to be achieved with other methods. Common Products made this way includes gloves and balloons.

Molding

molding uses mold cavities to shape the rubber, which is generally cheap yet time-consuming. There exists three main types: compression, transfer, and injection molding. They give rise to products such as seals and electrical insulators.

Calendaring

Calendaring forces rubber into rotating belts that stretch them out into sheets. The process provides the best control over the thickness of the rubber, at the downside of high cost. This is widely used for textile fabrics and sheets.

Vulcanization

Lastly, rubbers undergo vulcanization, where they are treated with chemicals (usually sulfur) while heated to strengthen their elasticity and durability.

Packaging, Assembly, and Shipping

After they are cut, assembled, and packaged into a final product, they (or things that contain them) are distributed all across the world to both the manufacturing industry and regular consumers (wholesalers, retailers, in-person or online stores, etc).

Consumption & End-of-life

Almost everyone is a consumer of rubber, ranging from industry applications in tires and insulation for electrical components to consumer products such as shoes, gloves, and many parts of our day-to-day gadgets. After use, rubbers can also be recycled by melting. And the process process resumes once more.

Page updated

Report abuse