Rubber is a natural material extracted from rubber trees and are also manufactured by chemical processes. The former is known as natural rubber and the latter as synthetic rubber.
Natural rubber has high strength, good resistance to wear and tear as well as in flexure. But it has low hysteresis and easily gets affected by solvents.
Synthetic rubbers can be produced to serve different purposes. In making different articles of rubber natural rubber is added to synthetic rubber. Rubber is also produced from used worn out articles like automobile tyres which are called reclaimed rubber. These are mainly used for making hose pipes and minor articles.
1. Use of Rubber in Mortar and Concrete
Latex or polymer latex used in cement mortar forms a polymer-modified system. It exhibits the following properties:
- Excellent adhesion,
- Improved tensile, compressive and flexural strength,
- Excellent resistance to penetrations of water, and
- Improved resistance to chemicals.
However, addition of natural rubber does not yield these benefits.
Synthetic rubber is used for making polymer concrete for waterproofing. At the time of hydration of cement along with polymerisation of latex-based polymers, the pores in the cement mortar or concrete get coated with the latex film. Formation of this latex film in the pores gives it good waterproofing qualities by preventing capillary rise of water.
2. Use in Floors
In certain environment, there is a need for resilient floors such as computer room, libraries, etc. Rubber-based floors are noise proof and highly elastic. Rubber tiles laid on any rigid floor can be used for these resilient floors. These tiles are non-slip, quiet flooring of low thermal and electrical conductivity.
3. Other Uses
A synthetic rubber, called neoprene, is extensively used for bearing of bridges. Natural and synthetic rubber is used indirectly to make many products used in building industry.
Rubber is vulcanised with sulphur to improve the qualities of rubber with reference to friction, solvents, durability, etc. Very soft variety is obtained with the use of small quantity of sulphur (1–5%) and very hard variety is got with higher percentage of sulphur (about 30%).
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