Latex
Latex is is extracted from trees and plans from the microparticles that are located directly in the aqueous medium. Latex products can be natural or with synthetic add-ons.
History
Latex has been termed as such since the year 1600’s and it is simply explained as being the fluid substance that can be found in the plants. Sometimes the term is used separately to define the latex rubber. The term applies to the products that are made out of latex as opposed to the latex that secretes from plants.
Production
Latex is found quite a bit in nature and is present in 10% of all plants that flower also known as angiosperms. The makeup of latex is starches, sugars, oils, proteins, resins, alkaloids, gums, and proteins that actually thicken once it reaches contact with air. Latex is typically white but can be found in nature as yellow, scarlet, or orange as well. Latex is made directly in the laticiferous sytem which includes the leaves, fruits, stems, and root of the plant.
Usage
In nature latex has its function to help protect plants from small insects. Insects can destroy plants so they need latex in order to keep their life expectancy higher. This idea was hypothesized by Joseph F. James in the year 1887. This is the only function that has any scientific evidence to back it up.
Latex is also used to make many other materials as well. Latex is what makes up rubber and that is its number one function besides protecting plants. Rubber latex is produced from over 12,000 plants but unfortunately not all of it can be used to make the rubber. Latex can be found and used for many other things including latex gloves, latex liquids, latex mattresses, latex pillows, and latex mattress toppers.
Advantages
Latex paint is highly used in the country because it solidifies as water evaporates from the polymer particles. It doesn’t give off toxic chemicals when it forms the film which is a reason it is highly desired. Sometimes latex is also added to cement to increase its efficiency.
Latex clothing is also quite popular and it is used because it is close to the skin and sometimes doesn’t even appear like clothing. Instead it functions similar to a second skin if someone needs the appearance it will be achieved.
It is used widely in the medical field because it serves as great protection from many things that contact needs to be avoided with such as oil, liquid, and bacteria that doctors don’t want their own skin coming into contact with. They are also incredibly durable and resistant to punctures and ripping. The comfort of them is not comparable to any other gloves available that offer protection. They’re also thin which makes them easy to use for pretty much anything.
Some people are allergic to latex but scientists are constantly looking into how to extract and make latex hypoallergenic so that people aren’t deathly allergic to it. The antigenic protein is what causes allergic reactions in the Hevea latex.
Latex Products
Latex products, be it either natural, synthetic, or hypo-allergenic are found in products such as gloves, mattresses, mattress toppers, pillows as well as liquid latex.