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How do natural rubber and synthetic rubber differ in their sources?

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Know how researchers created a synthetic material, elastomers, that can change color and texture to specific voltage change, like that of cephalopods — elastomer Learn about elastomers that are changeable in colour and texture, much like the skin of octopuses and other cephalopods. In the elastomers, these changes take place under electrical stimulation.

Natural rubber and synthetic rubber differ fundamentally in their origins and production processes:

Natural Rubber: This is an elastic substance obtained from the milky fluid, known as latex, that circulates within the bark of certain tropical plants and shrubs. Commercially, it is produced almost exclusively from the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis), which is native to South America and cultivated in tropical regions.12
Synthetic Rubber: In contrast, synthetic rubber is derived from petroleum and natural gas. It is manufactured on an industrial scale through chemical processes such as solution polymerization or emulsion polymerization, which involve converting raw materials like butadiene, styrene, or isoprene into elastomers.134

While natural rubber is a biological product formed in living organisms, synthetic rubbers were developed as supplements or specialized alternatives to meet industrial demands, particularly when natural supplies were restricted.41