The First Discovery of Commercial Potential of Natural Rubber

Charles Marie de La Condamine is credited with introducing samples of rubber to the Académie Royale des Sciences of France in 1736. In 1751, he presented a paper by François Fresneau to the Académie (eventually published in 1755) which described many of the properties of rubber. This has been referred to as the first scientific paper on rubber.

About Latex (3)

Pigmenting of Latex

Commercial latex pigmenting liquid

Latex is usually pigmented by preparing a pigment dispersion and then mixing this with the latex to provide the final colored product. By using the same procedure as in master-batching; i.e., taking a crude dispersion of the pigment, adding this slurry to the latex and homogenizing the two materials, a phase transfer can be achieved in which the pigment is removed from the aqueous phase and deposited inside the latex particles. 

About Latex (2)

Compounding of Latex

Rubber tapper pouring latex into
a mould at a plantation

Latex to be used for dipping, coating, and rug-backing must be mixed with compounding agents which include: 

1. stabilizers including surfactants 
2. vulcanizing agents
3. vulcanization accelerators
4. antioxidants 
5. fillers
6. viscosity modifiers (thickeners) and 
7. gel sensitizers