Natural rubber is received by the coagulation of lacteal juice (latex) of rubber-bearing plants. Rubber can accumulate in lacteal juice, in roots and stalks or in leaves and green tissues of young sprouts.

Latex trees are of great industrial importance. They accumulate rubber in large quantities and give it easily back. The most important tree is Hevea Brasiliensis giving 96 % of world rubber production.

Grassy latex rubber-bearing plants, the Compositae family, growing in the temperate zone and containing small amount of rubber in roots, are of no industrial importance. Rubber-bearing plants grow better between 10 degrees on the both sides of the equator because they require warm damp climate and fertile soil. The area 1300 km wide on the both sides of the equator is known as «a rubber belt».

Since the end of XIX century the development of the industry increased needs for rubber considerably, therefore there appeared new plantations of Hevea, except the forest of Amazon. Young trees from South America were planted in Malaysia, Indonesia and on island Ceylon where they have perfectly got accustomed and give big crop. Now 30% of rubber made in the world gather on plantations. The hectare of plantations of Hevea Brazilian gives from 950 to 2000 kg of rubber a year.

Hevea is raised on separate plantations and for 13 years (from 7 to 20) is used for manufacture of rubber. After that old trees are cut down and used for manufacture of furniture. Now the leaders of manufacture of rubber are Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Sri Lanka.

The juice of rubber tree is named «latex» which is extracted by cutting a V-shaped wedge in tree trunk. It is collected into special tanks of 45-60 gram. The viscose rubber mass is cleared and pressed in briquettes which are dried up at heats. As a result of this process the mass gets darker.

Structure of rubber:
* 65-70% of water,
* 25-30% of natural rubber,
* 1-2% of protein,
* 1% of mineral.