Rubber

Facts:

embodied energy:

Rubber (synthetic): (selection from the ICE database)
Main Material | No. Records | Average EE | Standard Deviation | Minimum EE | Maximum EE |
Rubber, Synthetic | 4 | 99.88 | 37.15 | 64.40 | 147.60 |

Material | Embodied Energy - MJ/Kg | Feedstock Energy (Included)   - MJ/Kg | Embodied Carbon - Kg CO2e/Kg | Boundaries | Best EE Range - MJ/Kg | Specific Comments |
| | | | | Low EE | High EE | |
General Rubber | 91 | 40 | 2.85 | Cradle to Gate | Not enough data for accurate range.   Estimated range +/- 40% | - |
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Comments | It was difficult to estimate the data for rubber, the limited data suggests that natural (latex) rubber has a lower embodied energy than synthetic rubber. However due to the limited data quantity and quality these categories have been removed from the present ICE database and are replaced with a single generic rubber category |
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Material | Condition | Thermal conductivity   (W-m-1 K-1) | Density (kg m -3) | Specific heat (J kg-1 K-1) | Thermal Diffusivity (M^2 S-1) |
tiles |   | 0.3 | 1600 | 1600 | 1.17188E-07 |

Comparison with other materials used for flooring
Materials | Rubber | Carpet | Concrete | Ceramics | Timber | Stone |
EE (MJ/kg) | 91 | 74 | 0.75 | 10 | 10 | 1.26 |

chemical composition and properties

Rubber is a polyene, and exhibits all the expected reactions of the C=C function. Bromine, hydrogen chloride and hydrogen all add with a stoichiometry of one molar equivalent per isoprene unit. Ozonolysis of rubber generates a mixture of levulinic acid ( CH3COCH2CH2CO2H ) and the corresponding aldehyde. Pyrolysis of rubber produces the diene isoprene along with other products.
http://www2.chemistry.msu.edu/faculty/reusch/VirtTxtJml/polymers.htm

Natural (latex) rubber is an opaque, soft, easily deformable solid that becomes sticky when heated (above. 60º C), and brittle when cooled below -50º C. It...