Natural rubber is used extensively in many applications and products, either alone or in combination with other materials. In most of its useful forms, it has a large stretch ratio and high resilience, and is extremely waterproof.
Natural rubber is used in applications requiring a high level of wear and heat resistance. Thanks to its strength and compressibility, natural rubber is used in engineering applications, like anti-vibration mounts, drive couplings, springs, bearings, rubber bands, and adhesives. But the majority- 50% of natural rubber- is used in high-performance tires for race cars, buses, and aircraft thanks to its strength and heat resistance. It’s also used in hoses, automotive parts, foam mattresses, and battery boxes.
However, thanks to its adhesive properties, natural rubber is also found in rubber cement and the soil stabilization materials used around new roads. Even raw rubber is sometimes used for adhesives and as part of shoe soles. Additionally, about 10% of latex harvested from trees is simply reduced down to 60% rubber solution to make products like latex gloves or to use as a coating.

Next the rubber is put through masticating machinery to make it more workable, then mixed with chemicals to improve its properties. Finally it’s made into a form, either by calendaring or extrusion, then vulcanized, which makes it more durable, elastic, and resilient.