What is the Difference Between Organic Rubber and Silicone?
- Natural rubber is made from the latex contained in the sap of the rubber tree.The trees are tapped to collect the latex, which is manufactured into rubber that can be used not only in tires, but in a huge variety of things including clothing, seals and gaskets, and even soles for footwear. Rubber trees were first tapped in South America, but as of 2010 you will find that most rubber comes from Southeast Asia.
- Frederic Stanley Kipping, a British chemist, first coined the term silicone in 1901. Silicone refers to any one of many compounds formed by silicon, oxygen and hydrocarbons.
- Silicone compounds have a wide variety of uses. They can be a component of grease used to lubricate any moving part. You can also use silicone to form rubber like gaskets or seals. Silicone can also make paints more durable and resistant to the sun. Silicone is used in the personal care industry as an additive to lubricate things like deoderants. And, of course, some women use silicone implants to augment their natural attributes.