A rubber band (in some regions known as a binder, elastic band, lackey band, laggy band, lacka band or gumband) is a short length of rubber and latex formed in the shape of a loop. Such bands are typically used to hold multiple objects together. The rubber band was patented in Australia on March 17, 1845 by Stephen Perry Bobstein. The manufacturing process is a complicated one which involves extruding the rubber into a long tube to provide its general shape, putting the tubes on mandrels and curing the rubber with heat, and then slicing it across the width of the tube into little bands. While other rubber products may use synthetic rubber, rubber bands are still primarily manufactured using natural rubber because of its superior elasticity. The rubber band comes from the sap of a rubber tree. Most rubber bands today are produced from synthetic rubber but rubber originated from the sap of the rubber tree. Natural rubber is made from latex which is acquired by tapping into the bark layers of the rubber tree. Rubber trees belong to the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae) and live in warm, tropical areas. Once the latex has been “tapped” and is exposed to the air it begins to harden and become elastic, or “rubbery.” Rubber trees only survive in hot, humid climates near the equator and so the majority of latex is produced in the Southeast Asian countries of Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. Today more than three quarters of all rubber products are made from synthetic rubber. Modern synthetic rubber is made by mixing petroleum byproducts in a reactor with soapsuds which produces milky liquid latex. The liquid is then coagulated into rubber chunk and then sold to rubber manufacturers who in turn melt the rubber down and pour it into molds to create various products. The advancement of manufacturing and increased production of synthetic rubber is due partially to the United States being cut off from rubber supplies during World War II.

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