A variety of applications utilize natural rubber latex products due to their unique properties. There are very few material alternatives that exhibit properties similar to natural rubber latex and there are no perfect substitutes. Learn what makes natural rubber latex so unique and some of the products it produces.
Many people do not realize that natural rubber latex is a sustainable renewable resource due to the extracted liquid latex sap being tapped from a tree that does not get damaged. Through the process of tapping, the renewable source of latex flows. In its natural state the latex sap has many limitations; it is highly affected by temperature, acting soft and sticky in the heat and brittle in the cold. In its natural state it is also easily degraded. With vulcanization, the latex turns into a product that can now be used and will remain firm and flexible in a wide temperature range. At The Hygenic Corporation, we utilize the latex from the rubber tree to create all of our natural rubber products.
The rubber tree and its latex producing capabilities were originally discovered by the Olmec, Maya, and Aztec who used latex to waterproof clothes. The tree itself is native to rainforests in the Amazon region of South America, including Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Colombia. However, the trees are also grown in Southeast Asia and Western Africa now due to being cloned from the native regions. At The Hygenic Corporation we source our liquid latex from Malaysia and Thailand for all of our natural rubber products; which is strategically located near our ISO 9001:2008 certified Malaysia manufacturing plant.