Natural Rubber

Natural Rubber

Rubber randomly trapped and collected from the tree of Hevea brasiliensis is variable in quality and is commonly known as wild rubber.

The 1,4−polyisoprene structure of natural rubber hydrocarbon was confirmed by identifying the products derived from its ozonolysis. The overwhelming products isolated on ozonolysis are levulinic aldehyde (O=C(CH₃)−CH₂−CH₂−CHO) and the corresponding acid, i.e., levulinic acid.

The hydrocarbons of natural rubber and gutta percha or balata are the same in elementary formula and in their products of ozonolysis, even though they greatly differ in physical properties. Gutta percha is usually lower in molecular weigh than natural rubber, but the major differences in their physical properties are appreciated from the difference in their spatial configuration. The typical elastomeric properties of natural rubber are attributed to its almost complete cis configuration and the prominent theroplastic nature of gutta percha is attributable to its trans structure.