Plantation

Natural rubber only grows in the so-called rubber belt. The tropical regions in which rubber grows are often characterised by a high biodiversity (Biodiversity Hotspots).

Rubber plantations are usually operated by smallholder farmers (approx. 85%). In order to get the latex, the workers carve cuts into the rind so that the juice can come out.

The largest amount of natural rubber comes from Thailand.

Processing

In many cases, natural rubber is processed directly on site into a transportable product. Common shapes are:

• blocks
• powder
• latex concentrate
• sheets

Depending on the form, various chemicals (formic acid, acetic acid, ammonia) or smoke are used for processing. To indicate the form of processing, there are the terms RSS (smoked), ADS (air-dried) or Crepe (plates). If the raw material is produced using a standardized process, it is often classified according to TSR (technically specified rubber). In this way, the degree of purity and quality can be determined by the purchaser.

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Seeds of the rubber tree

Tapping

Rollers for processing the rubber to sheets