Buildings
Structure, lining, insulation or finish depending on family.
Natural rubber earns its keep in systems: a beam, a batt, a fibre blend, a coated steel — rarely a lone coupon.
Products below are cultural landmarks as much as SKUs.
Sectors
Transport
Mass, fire and fatigue rewrite the grade list.
Energy
Heat, voltage and hydrogen compatibility.
Consumer
The volume that pays for the mill.
Medical / food
When allowed — extractables and allergies matter.
Defence / safety
Ballistics, FR clothing, fire stops.
Products
Charles Goodyear
1839
John Boyd Dunlop
1888
Michelin Bibendum
1898
Hevea tapping
20th c.
Fordlandia
1928
F1 slick
1950s–
Surgical glove
19th c.–
Eraser
18th c.–
Pairings
silicone
The high-temp elastomer NR cannot be.
polyethylene
Another C-H chain, thermoplastic not elastic.
nylon
Tyre cord partner.
steel
Bead wire and belts in radial tyres.
If the pairing is wrong, the material will be blamed for a system fault.
Keep exploring
More in Polymers
🧴
Polyethylene
The world’s volume plastic — bags, bottles, pipes and the UHMWPE cousin in medical and ballistic fibre.
Overall 40 🍳PTFE
Plunkett’s slippery fluoropolymer — non-stick, chemical linings and a high-temp plastic that still has a fire-and-fume story.
Overall 41 🫧Silicone
Si–O backbone elastomers and resins — bakeware, medical tubing, façade sealants and a kinder high-temp story than carbon chains.
Overall 55