Both natural rubber and synthetic rubber hold an important place in the rubber industry. The difference between natural and synthetic rubber makes both types of rubber useful for different applications.
What is natural rubber?
Natural rubber is usually derived from Hevea brasiliensis or the Pará rubber tree. This Brazilian native plant is now grown in South and Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, India and Vietnam. The most common commercial use of natural rubber is in tires, which span various industries, including automotive and aerospace.
What is synthetic rubber?
Synthetic rubber is produced from petrochemicals in chemical plants, and one of the first and best known types of synthetic rubber is neoprene. through polymerization of monomers into polymers. There are different types of neoprene that are made up of different monomers prior to polymerization. Because polymers are artificially produced, neoprene can have different properties and have many applications. Applications of neoprene include wetsuits, balloons, PPE, shoe soles and rubber bands.
Is synthetic rubber better than natural rubber?
The difference between natural rubber and synthetic rubber can be seen in the way it is manufactured, which means that the properties of each are different. However, which one is better?
Each will be more suitable for certain applications than the other.
In general, synthetic rubber is better than natural rubber in terms of temperature resistance, aging resistance and wear resistance. Neoprene also tends to be cheaper to use in manufacturing.
On the other hand, natural rubber is known for being a durable, flexible and heat-resistant material used to create high-quality rubber products. Ultimately, which rubber is ‘better’ depends on its application.
The difference in the price of natural rubber compared to the price of synthetic rubber
Natural and synthetic rubber can be substituted. However, the difference in each limits the extent to which they can be direct substitutes, meaning that the markets for each are not closely related, hence the price difference. More commonly, natural and synthetic rubbers are used as complementary goods in the manufacture of tires. In general, demand and prices for both types of rubber are influenced by the automotive industry.
The price difference between natural rubber and synthetic rubber is due to both demand-side factors (use and production) and supply-side factors, including raw material prices and constraints in agriculture. Karma. However, rubber prices are mainly influenced by supply-side factors, causing many fluctuations, especially natural rubber.
Natural rubber: Impact from the needs of the manufacturing industry for products requiring strength, flexibility, heat resistance, tear resistance.
Supply of natural rubber:
- Slow planting and production time 5-7 years
- Weather
- Price and availability of seedlings
- Labor cost
- Availability and price of land
- Profitability of rubber compared to other crops
Synthetic rubber: Depends on the product industry that requires wear resistance, heat and aging resistance, elasticity, resistance to grease. Input prices such as crude oil, crude oil and natural gas are the supply factors that affect the price of synthetic rubber.
