Natural Rubber

Natural rubber NR (Natural Rubber) is a material of plant origin, derived from rubber cultivation. Its structure and properties distinguish it from SR (Synthetic Rubber), which is produced from petroleum derivatives. The word "rubber" comes from the union of two Indian words, cao and tchu, which together mean "weeping wood".

Rubber is harvested by tapping the rubber tree:

• in liquid form; this is latex, an emulsion of 35 to 40% by weight of rubber in water; stable in a basic medium. This rubber latex is either concentrated and preserved in liquid form, or transformed into sheet by coagulation;

• in solid form by letting it coagulate in the buckets where the latex is received.

In 2015, natural rubber production totaled 12.2 million tonnes (Mt). It should reach 15 Mt by 2020. Synthetic rubber production stood at 14.5 Mt. .

In 2015, natural rubber-producing countries were Thailand (4.5 Mt), Indonesia (3.1 Mt), Vietnam (1.0 Mt), China (0.80 Mt), Malaysia (0.7 Mt), India (0.6 Mt) and Côte d'Ivoire (0.35 Mt).

Rubber prices are relatively variable. After being historically low in the early 1990s ($0.5/kg), the price rose above $1.5/kg from 2000 onwards, reaching $6/kg in 2011 and then falling back to $1.5/kg in 2015. Natural rubber is subject to a partly speculative economy. High selling prices in 2011 led to significant replanting activity (which then declined in 2013).

Natural rubber is mainly used in tires (over 70% of production). Some is used in formulations for anti-vibration applications. Another part is used for medical and paramedical applications (gloves, condoms, etc.) which use rubber in liquid form.