> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.plasticsiq.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # 8 facts you probably didn't know about rubber - URL: https://www.plasticsiq.com/8-facts-about-rubber-you-probably-did-not-know/ - Published: 2024-09-26T16:12:41.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-21T18:55:09.000Z - Description: Here are eight facts you probably didn't know about rubber, from its historical uses to its natural colour. - Author: PlasticsIQ Staff - Tags: Insights, Materials **Here are eight facts you probably didn't know about rubber, from its historical uses to its natural colour.** ### **1\. Rubber's natural colour is white** When harvested, the natural colour of rubber comes out as a [white, milky latex](https://www.customrubbercorp.com/blog/March-2022/What-Color-is-Rubber?ref=plasticsiq.com) and will remain white throughout the entire curing process unless certain additives are applied. The black colour we often seen in rubber products is due to the addition of carbon black during processing which improves its physical and chemical properties. ### **2\. Synthetic rubber was created in 1909** A team at Bayer Lab, led by [Fritz Hofmann](https://www.coruba.co.uk/blog/wwi-the-development-of-synthetic-rubber/?ref=plasticsiq.com#:~:text=Synthetic%20rubber%20had%20first%20been,first%20synthetic%20rubber%20in%201909.) in Germany, successfully created the first synthetic rubber by polymerising isoprene in the year 1909. Soon after, in 1910, Russian scientist Sergei Lebedev synthesised rubber from a colourless gas known as butadiene, which became crucial during both World Wars when natural rubber was in short supply. ![Untitled (60).png](https://storage.ghost.io/c/34/28/3428fdf9-74dc-4cfd-9519-e5e23a7ca0e0/content/images/2026/09/14485-Untitled__60_.png?cb=a2df80c047e6192c715db24282c30165 "Untitled (60).png") underverse/Adobe Stock Latex flows out of the tree into a collection cup ### **3\. Its first use dates back over 2,000 years** Early applications including shoe soles and playballs by ancient civilisations. The Mayans had long been [extracting white sap from rubber trees](https://www.risrubber.com/en/the-history-of-rubber/?ref=plasticsiq.com) but it was the Olmecs who first created rubber balls. These would later be used by the Aztecs in a game called "[ollama](https://www.britannica.com/science/rubber-chemical-compound/Development-of-the-natural-rubber-industry?ref=plasticsiq.com)". ### **4\. Christopher Columbus first discovered rubber** The explorer from the Republic of Genoa is credited with "discovering" natural rubber in 1493 during his [second voyage to the Americas](https://www.risrubber.com/en/the-history-of-rubber/?ref=plasticsiq.com). It's said that Columbus saw natives in Haiti playing with rubber balls made from the sap of a tree called "cau-uchu". ### **5\. A typical tree can produce 19 lbs of rubber each year** Rubber trees start producing latex when they're around [six to seven years old](http://www.coruba.co.uk/blog/amazing-facts-about-rubber/?ref=plasticsiq.com) and can be tapped for 20-30 years. On average, a tree yields about 19 pounds of rubber annually and a tree can remain productive for around 28 years, according to the [Alliance Rubber Company](https://www.rubberband.com/blog/facts-rubber-tree/?ref=plasticsiq.com). ![Untitled (61).png](https://storage.ghost.io/c/34/28/3428fdf9-74dc-4cfd-9519-e5e23a7ca0e0/content/images/2026/09/14486-Untitled__61_.png?cb=5d05b1b0f17743d0e308f59399843820 "Untitled (61).png") oyoo/Adobe Stock Rubber can be moulded for use in various applications ### **6\. 65% of produced rubber goods are used in the automotive industry** The automotive industry is the [biggest consumer of rubber](http://www.etrma.org/key-topics/materials/natural-rubber/?ref=plasticsiq.com) with around 65% of produced rubber going into things like tyres. Natural rubber provides necessary qualities for tyre performance, including strength, durability, and resistance to wear and chemicals. ### **7\. Today, more synthetic rubber is being produced than natural rubber** In 2017, the global consumption of synthetic rubber was [15,189 thousand metric tonnes](https://coirubber.com/natural-rubber-vs-synthetic-rubber/?ref=plasticsiq.com), while natural rubber consumption was 13,225 thousand metric tonnes. Similarly, [Statista](https://dpseals.com/dpblog/natural-vs-synthetic-rubber/?ref=plasticsiq.com) reported that 15.2 thousand metric tonnes of synthetic rubber was consumed globally compared to 13.2 thousand metric tonnes of natural rubber in 2018. There could be may reasons for this difference such as synthetic rubber is easier to manufacture in many countries compared to natural rubber, offers better resistance to abrasion, chemicals and heat, and it's highly versatility. ### **8\. Thailand the world's leading exporter of natural rubber** According to Statista, Thailand was the [world’s largest exporter of natural rubber in 2022](https://www.statista.com/statistics/652796/distribution-of-the-leading-natural-rubber-exporters/?ref=plasticsiq.com), accounting for approximately 32% of global exports that year, making the Southeast Asian country the largest producer of natural rubber worldwide. Then in 2023, Thailand's rubber exports brought in $3.6 billion and [accounted for 29.2%](https://www.worldstopexports.com/natural-rubber-exports-country/?ref=plasticsiq.com) of the world's natural rubber exports.