The History of Rubber and Rubber Products

Rubber is the fundamental ingredient of gum and it was used by the Native Americans in the manufacture of balls as early as in the 4th century. It gained popularity in Europe in the 18th and beginning of 19th century, with the emergence of production of rubber products such as rubber gloves. However, one of main disadvantages of rubber products at that time was their stickiness when exposed to higher temperature.

In 1839 Charles Goodyear discovered quite by chance, that by heating and adding sulfur, the soft and sticky natural rubber can be transformed into an elastic material – gum. This enabled a rapid and continuous development of rubber industry. Rubber products now belong to the group of products, without which we could not imagine the world as it is today.

At present the world consumption of rubber is measured to be 15 million tons, of which 38 percent is processed natural rubber, and approximately 62 percent are various synthetic rubbers. As much as 50 percent of the raw material is used to produce car tires and the remaining half for other rubber products, intended for general consumption, that is in medicine, industry etc.