This section provides an overview for natural rubber as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 8 natural rubber manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked natural rubber companies as of November, 2024: 1.DPR Industries Inc., 2.Cherry's Industrial Equipment Corp, 3.Hallstar.
Table of Contents
2020: Obtained a master's degree in Engineering from the Graduate School of Organometallic Complexes, Osaka University, where he conducted research on polymerization reactions using complexes as catalysts.
Currently working for a general chemical manufacturer.
Natural rubber is rubber standardized as "cis-1,4-polyisprene obtained from the Pará rubber tree".
Therefore, the main production areas of natural rubber are the tropical regions of Southeast Asia, Africa, and Central and South America, where Pará rubber tree grows. Production of natural rubber in Southeast Asia consists of about 80% of total production.
Natural rubber has been used industrially since the 1800s. It is traded in three main forms: latex, which is liquid rubber; RSS, which is dried in sheet form; and TSR, which is rubber that has been finely ground and press-molded.
RSS is mechanically stronger than TSR, but is also more expensive.
Approximately 70% of natural rubber is used in tires for aircraft, trucks, buses, and passenger cars. To increase the durability of tires, natural rubber is blended with SBR (styrene butadiene rubber) and BR (butadiene rubber), a type of synthetic rubber, to improve durability.
Due in part to the effects of these blends, natural rubber exhibits extremely high mechanical strength and is therefore often used in large tires. Besides tires, natural rubber is used in a wide range of industrial products such as belts, hoses, and anti-vibration rubber feet, as well as in consumer products such as thread rubber, rubber bands, and footwear such as slippers.
It is also sometimes used as an additive to plastics.
Natural rubber has excellent extensibility, resilience, tear strength, compression set, abrasion resistance, flexural crack resistance, and adhesiveness, and is characterized by low internal heating and high fracture strength. Like general synthetic rubbers, it has high water and alcohol resistance, but low oil and acid resistance. It also has low resistance to weathering and ozone.
Since natural rubber is derived from natural materials, it may contain impurities and have more inconsistencies in physical properties than synthetic rubbers.
Natural rubber is made from polyisoprene (a polymer of isoprene: CH2=C(CH3)-CH=CH2), which is obtained by adding acid to the white sap called latex that seeps out when a rubber tree is wounded.
Since the isoprene portion has a cis structure, the molecular chain is irregularly shaped and crystallization rarely occurs.
Vulcanization is the process of adding sulfur and heating. The double bonds in the molecules that make up natural rubber undergo an oxidation reaction over time, causing the rubber to lose its elasticity over time.
Natural rubber also lacks durability in terms of resistance to heat and cold, making it difficult to use as is. Therefore, natural rubber is treated by adding 5-8% sulfur to natural rubber and heating it to approximately 140°C. This process causes the double bonds to react with the sulfur, bonding the molecules together and increasing the chemical strength, mechanical strength, and elasticity of the rubber. Most of the natural rubber used in daily life is vulcanized rubber.
In addition to natural rubber, there is synthetic rubber which is produced from petroleum or naphtha. It is difficult to distinguish between natural rubber and synthetic rubber visually, and because they have equal specific gravity, it is difficult to determine visuallywhether natural rubber or synthetic rubber is used.
Natural rubber is superior in mechanical properties, but synthetic rubbers, such as fluorine rubber and silicone rubber, have higher heat resistance, oil resistance, and weather resistance, and synthetic rubbers often exhibit better properties other than mechanical strength.
Compared to synthetic rubber, which is derived from petroleum, natural rubber is a very green material because it is naturally derived. In addition, since the Pará rubber tree synthesizes natural rubber by absorbing carbon dioxide, it is indirectly using carbon dioxide from the earth.
After about 25 years from the planting date, the paragum tree is replanted because the harvest of natural rubber is decreasing rapidly, and the paragum trees cut down at this time are mainly processed into laminated wood.
Laminated wood from the Pará rubber tree is widely used for furniture, flooring, and other applications due to its durability, coloring, and paintability. Natural rubber itself, as well as the Pará rubber tree, which produces natural rubber, is a green material.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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DPR Industries Inc. is a manufacturer of liquid natural rubber, established in 2009 and based in Coatesville, United States of America. The company offers four types of liquid natural rubber based on the different kinds of liquid polymers. Liquid rubber performs many functions in a wide range of applications namely reactive rubber processing aid for the tire industry, polymer binder for grinding wheels and friction products, reactive vehicle for rubber additives, rheology modifier for lubricants, and polymer base for molding and tooling systems. It has already passed the quality management ISO 9001 certification.
Cherry’s Industrial Equipment Corp is a manufacturer of material handling equipment, founded in 1983 and headquartered in Roselle, Illinois. The company's offering consists of a range of products including pallet handling equipment, ergonomic equipment, pallet retrievers, tippers, and dispensers. These products are designed to assist the warehouse, dock, or line worker. The industrial service department grows its offering with regular preventative maintenance, service, and new equipment installation supported through a nationwide network of local technicians.
Qualiform, LLC is a manufacturer and supplier of custom rubber components based in Wadsworth, Ohio. The company was founded in 1976 and produces a range of rubber parts including vibration isolation mounts, gaskets, grommets, and o-rings for clients in industries like plumbing, appliances, and transportation. The company offers a broad range of in-house rubber molding services, including compression, transfer, and rubber injection molding. As an ISO 9001:2015 certified company, Qualiform, LLC is also qualified and equipped to perform more complex production operations, such as the mass production of rubber-to-metal bonded parts.
Hallstar, founded in 1986 in Chicago, U.S., is a manufacturer specializing in the design and synthesis of polymer modifiers. The company designs and synthesizes specialty ester chemistries such as specialty PVC fittings, polymerics and other specialty chemistries. It boasts a portfolio of patented technologies and collaborate with customers across industries to modify or completely customize monomeric and polymeric solutions to suit specific applications and requirements. Operating from multiple locations and leveraging strategic acquisitions and a robust distributor network, Hallstar has expanded globally, serving clients in Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Packaging Tape Depot, established in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1976, is a manufacturer and distributor of packaging tapes, dispensers, and machines. The company's range of products includes acrylic packing, hot melt, natural rubber industrial packaging, label protection, and paper packing tapes. These products are used in warehouse packaging, supermarkets, the electrical sector, industrial markets, and household applications. The company has warehouses and sales representatives in Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, and Mississippi.
RD Rubber Technology Corp., founded in 1986, is a supplier of precision molding of rubber component parts in Santa Fe Springs, CA. The company uses silicone, synthetic, and natural rubber to produce products such as seals, lathes, valves, o-rings, poppet assemblies, and gaskets used in industrial, building infrastructure, aerospace, defense, and medical care markets. The company has capabilities such as conventional machining, custom rubber molding, cryogenic deflashing, and metal bonding to form products that comply with GMP, ITAR, ANSI, and ISO.
The European Type and Rubber Manufacturers' Association (ETRMA), located in Box 9, Brussels, has been the manufacturer and distributor of tires and rubber goods since 1959. The company manufactures dishwasher hoses, rubber stamps, swimming caps, waterproof shoes, and wetsuits for surfing. It also creates goods for small and medium-sized businesses, invests in cutting-edge technologies, and works in the energy, automotive, and household products industries. The association created the first comprehensive, cross-sectoral European Tyre and Roadwear Platform in 2018.
Olam Agri Holdings Pte Ltd., established in 1989, is a manufacturer, supplier, and distributor of food, feeds, and fibers using digitally integrated capabilities in Cecil Plains, QLD, Australia. The company products are grains, oil seeds, edible oils, rice, and specialty grains. It also produces seeds, integrated feed & proteins, cotton, rubber, and wood products such as sawn timber, logs, kiln-dried lumber, and deckings from its concessions in the Republic of Congo.
Ranking as of November 2024
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | DPR Industries Inc. |
31.4%
|
2 | Cherry's Industrial Equipment Corp |
14.2%
|
3 | Hallstar |
13.8%
|
4 | ETRMA |
10.5%
|
5 | Qualiform, LLC. |
9.0%
|
6 | RD Rubber Technology Corp. |
8.0%
|
7 | Olam Agri Holdings Pte Ltd. |
7.7%
|
8 | Packaging Tape Depot |
5.4%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the natural rubber page as of November 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
---|---|---|
United States of America | 6 | 85.7% |
Belgium | 1 | 14.3% |