October 19, 2015

History of Rubber

history of rubber infographic

What is the History of Rubber and Its Development?

Ancient Use: Evidence suggests rubber use dates back over 2,000,000 years.
Vulcanization Discovery (1839): Charles Goodyear accidentally discovers vulcanization, a process of strengthening rubber, by dropping sulfur-treated rubber onto a hot stove.
Synthetic Rubber Invention (1879): Bouchardat invents synthetic rubber.
Pneumatic Tire (1882): John Boyd Dunlop creates the air-filled rubber tire, spurring increased rubber demand due to the rise of gasoline-powered cars.
Vulcanization Advancements (1883): George Oenslager develops a faster vulcanization method using organic accelerators.
Increased Demand (1890s): The expansion of motor vehicles, particularly tires, leads to a surge in rubber demand.
Polymerization of Methyl Isoprene (1909): Fritz Hofmann and his team succeed in polymerizing methyl isoprene.
First Synthetic Rubber Polymer (1910): Sergei Vasiljevich Lebedev synthesizes the first rubber polymer from butadiene.
Early Research by Ivan Ostromislensky (Early 20th Century): Significant research on synthetic rubber and monomers.
Stevenson Act and Synthetic Rubber Search (1921): The Stevenson Act forms a rubber price-regulating cartel, leading to alternative synthetic rubber exploration.
Rise in Synthetic Rubber Research (1925): High natural rubber prices push companies to explore synthetic rubber production.
Neoprene Development (1931): DuPont, under E.K. Bolton, develops the first successful synthetic rubber, neoprene.
First European Rubber Plant (1932): SK-1, the first rubber plant in Europe, established in Russia by Sergei Lebedev.
Buna Rubbers (1935): German chemists create Buna rubbers, the first series of synthetic rubbers as copolymers.
Sovprene Creation (1940): Russian researchers develop Sovprene, a type of synthetic rubber.
Ameripol (1940): B.F. Goodrich scientist Waldo Semon develops Ameripol, making synthetic rubber production more cost-effective.
GRS Production During WWII (By 1944): 50 factories in the US manufacture GRS (Government Rubber Styrene), exceeding pre-war natural rubber production.
Synthetic Rubber Boom (1941-1945): US synthetic rubber production skyrockets from 8,000 tons to 820,000 tons.
Post-War Developments (Early 1960s): Post-WWII, advancements continue in synthetic rubber production, with the chemical synthesis of isoprene reducing the need for natural rubber.