PLANTS AND PEOPLE
The plant product chosen for this research is a rubber. The product comes from Hevea brasiliensis, which is commonly referred to us a rubber tree. Rubber is a plant product that can be used for various purposes since it can be made either hard or soft. Stretchy and soft latex is used in all types of everyday things like condoms, pencil erasers, protective glove, paints, and balloons (d’Auzac, 2018). Also, it is used to produce adhesives such as sticky white PVA. Rubber, in the form of latex, is extracted from the laticiferous system of the Hevea brasiliensis by tapping the trunk. Tapping involves cutting through the bark of the rubber tree. Latex forms from a milky liquid that oozes from the wound of the tree and dries up (d’Auzac, 2018). The usual technique of tapping is to notch the tree with a knife for the perimeter of the trunk. The cut is slanted down at an angle of 30 degrees from left to the right. Cutting starts from the highest point that is suitable for the tapper.
Moreover, the succeeding cut immediately follows its precursor. After collecting the tapped latex, rubber is coagulated with formic acid to create crumps that look like curds of milk. The crumps are then washed, dried, and compacted into blocks of a specific size, which are then packed ready for use. Rubber is primarily used for practical purposes, such as the formation of tubes and tires (d’Auzac, 2018). Hevea brasiliensis is currently the only source of commercial natural production for rubber. The tree produces elastomers that have not yet been surpassed by any other synthetic product. Silicone can be used as a substitute for rubber. The manmade material is typically inert, largely resistant, and comprises low levels of toxicity (d’Auzac, 2018). Also, the content has a texture that is similar to that of rubber.
Therefore, it is used on adhesive materials, lubricants, and cookware. The fascinating thing about rubber is that it can be recycled. Recycled rubber can form new types of fuel that are similar to the fuels made from petroleum and coal.
Reference
d’Auzac, J. (2018). Physiology of Rubber Tree Latex: The Laticiferous Cell and Latex-A Model of Cytoplasm. CRC press.