Rubber
- Updated:
- By: Kevin van Mierlo
Contents
What is rubber?
Definition
We all know it and come across it several times a day. But what exactly is it? The name comes from the English verb rub, which is to rub. rubber is very much in demand as it is applicable in many situations. The entire world market for rubber is around 24 million tonnes. It is used, for instance, in car tyres, shoe soles, boots, lifeboats, bicycle saddles and ignition cables. But that is far from the only thing. You see it everywhere, perhaps without actually realising it.
Natural or synthetic
Natural rubber is obtained from latex. Latex is extracted from the Brazilian rubber tree. One third of the sap from the tree consists of rubber. The latex is filtered and diluted with water. What comes out of this is treated with acid. This causes the rubber particles to solidify. The resulting material is rolled out so that it can dry. Since the material is so common, demand exceeds supply. Since the rubber trees cannot produce all the demand, alternatives were looked at. These alternatives were found. Polymers are made from petroleum. These have features common to natural rubber. The non-natural alternatives are called synthetic.
Rubber at TRALERT®
rubber is used in various products within TRALERT®’s range of LED lighting. This is because the material offers a number of advantages. One of the products in which rubber is commonly used is LED side marker lights. Side marker lights are designed to indicate the width of the vehicle. These lights are mandatory on some trailers. rubber is often found in the housing of the side marker lights. This is because the material is highly resistant to damage. This contributes significantly to the light’s service life. In addition, the material can also be found in TRALERT®’s mounting rubbers.
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Author
Kevin van Mierlo
Lighting expert at TRALERT® - Kevin tests lighting and finds out everything about legislation. He can tell you all about it.
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Author
Kevin van Mierlo
Lighting expert at TRALERT® - Kevin tests lighting and finds out everything about legislation. He can tell you all about it.
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