The production process of standard rubber, from tapping to finished product, and knowledge about natural rubber imports.

2022-07-28

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Natural rubber possesses excellent physicochemical properties and, after appropriate treatment, exhibits resistance to oil, acids, alkalis, heat, cold, and abrasion, making it widely applicable. Since the establishment of China’s first rubber factory in 1915, the Chinese rubber industry has a history spanning over a century. As domestic demand for natural rubber continues to rise, it has been designated as an “important strategic material and industrial raw material.”

Basic Overview of Natural Rubber

Natural rubber is a natural polymer whose main constituent is cis‑1,4‑polyisoprene. It comprises 91% to 94% rubber hydrocarbon, with the remainder consisting of non‑rubber substances such as proteins, fatty acids, ash, and sugars.

From the perspective of the tariff schedule, natural rubber under heading 40.01 primarily includes natural latex, smoked sheet rubber, technically specified natural rubber (TSNR), balata, gutta‑percha, guayule rubber, chicle, and similar natural tree rubbers. At present, China’s imports of natural rubber mainly comprise natural latex, smoked sheet rubber, and technically specified natural rubber.

Natural latex

Natural latex is primarily a liquid secreted by rubber trees, especially the Brazilian rubber tree. This liquid consists of an aqueous solution in which rubber—high‑molecular‑weight polyisoprene—is dispersed along with organic and mineral substances, including proteins, fatty acids and their derivatives, salts, sugars, and glycosides, at a solid content of 30% to 40%. The production process comprises tapping, collection, purification, coagulation, creping, granulation, drying, and packaging. The production flow of standard rubber, from tapping to the finished product, is as follows:

01 Tapping rubber trees

Latex is stored in laticifers within the phloem of the bark. When the bark is tapped, the milky latex flows continuously, driven by the turgor pressure of the laticifers themselves and the surrounding thin-walled cells. Tapping typically begins around 4 a.m., when temperatures are relatively low and the rubber tree is fully hydrated; at this time, cellular turgor is at its peak, allowing for a smooth and efficient flow of latex, which is why morning tapping yields higher production.

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