The milky glue of Gutapo rubber exists in many wild plants, such as dandelion, Eucommia, etc. Although their chemical composition is the same as that of the trilobes, the microscopic spatial arrangement between the units is different, which is trans 1,4 The structure can therefore be regarded as the isomer of the triloba. Gutapo Gum was first transplanted from the Malay Peninsula to Europe in 1656. It is mainly used to make insulation for submarine cables and golf bodies.
Because the tree of Eucommia ulmoides contains trans-1,4-polyisoprene, it is also the raw material for the preparation of Gutapo, and the obtained glue is also called Eucommia rubber in China. The preparation method of the Gutapo gel is obtained by first treating the glue with a solvent and then extracting with acetone. The yield of this method is very low (only 1.2%~1.3%). Later, the rubber plant was crushed by mechanical method and then extracted with hot water.
The most important feature of Gutabo is its duality of rubber and plastic. It is crystalline at room temperature and inelastic. It looks like a hard plastic. It softens when the temperature exceeds 60 ° C. It can be operated on a common rubber mixer or crosslinked (vulcanized). It has rubber-like elasticity after crosslinking. Due to these properties, the application fields of Guttabo are as follows.
1 Traditional use is suitable for use as an insulation layer for submarine cables due to its excellent seawater resistance.
2 Surgical treatment positioning materials can replace traditional plaster, bandage, steel / wood splint, very convenient to use. If you need to remove, change or shift after use, just heat it to 60 °C or above. It is an ideal orthopedic material. It is made into a neck rest and a lumbar support to support the injured part of the human body. .
3 The human protective equipment can be made into the athlete’s leg protector and waist protector, which can protect a certain part of the limb without affecting the competition. It is also applicable to frontline soldiers in the military.
4 When used as a shape memory function material, it is heated by its special function of shape memory to adjust the shape and size to suit specific needs.