Things to Learn About The Manufacturing Process of Latex Adhesives

Latex glue is used a lot at home, for example when you want to attach pictures to an album or put plasters on cuts. However, what's the process that makes this basic material? This method turns the white sap from rubber plants into useful latex adhesives.

The raw material: Natural latex

The process starts with latex, a milky fluid that comes out of the Hevea Brasiliense tree. This tree is also called the rubber tree. Mostly, these trees are planted in Southeast Asia and big countries that make it include Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Tappers make diagonal cuts in the bark, allowing latex to drip into collection cups.

Processing the latex

The unprocessed latex cannot be used as a glue because it has about 60% water. It must go through a process to make the rubber parts more concentrated and to increase its steadiness. Here are two common methods:

Centrifugation is a process where we spin everything very fast so that the water splits from the heavier rubber bits. We then get latex that has more rubber in it, like 60 percent, and this thick latex can be used for making sticky substances and other things.

The creaming method involves mixing a chemical that makes the small rubber bits stick to each other and float up. Then, these sticky groups are removed from the top, leaving behind thick latex.

Formulating the adhesive

The thick liquid from the rubber tree is only a part of what makes up the glue at the end. Companies mix it with different things to get certain qualities they want.

Fillers are used to give more volume and change how sticky the adhesive is. Things like clay, calcium carbonate, and starches are what we use for this.

Tackifiers improve the first stronghold or stickiness of an adhesive. They often use rosin derivatives and man-made resins for this purpose.

Crosslinkers are chemicals that make lasting connections among the particles of rubber, making the glue stronger and able to last longer.

The exact mix and proportions of these elements are based on the required characteristics of the end item. For example, paper straw adhesives should have strong initial stickiness, whereas glue used for wood needs to focus on durable and robust connections.