Rubber Sheeting

Rubber or natural rubber is an elastomer that comes from latex which is a milky colloid produced by some plants and trees. The trees are tapped and drained and the product is purified and processed into rubber products such as tyres, hoses, window profiles etc. The use of rubber is widespread ranging from household goods to industrial products. Tyres are the largest consumer of rubber and the remaining percentage is taken up by general rubber goods which includes all products except tyres. Other significant uses include matting, flooring and dampers for cars and many other products for the automotive industry which are known in the trade as under the bonnet products. Additionally, rubber is produced as a fibre called elastic which has significant value in the textile industry because of its excellent elongation and recovery properties. In this instance it is manufactured into either round material or rectangular and cut into strips from extruded film. It is estimated that around twenty million tons of rubber are produced every year. Today Asia is the main source of rubber accounting for around ninety percent of output, the three largest producers being Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.