What is Silicone Rubber? Silicone rubber, like rubber, is an elastomer. To tell the two apart, it is necessary to look at the atomic structure of the two substances. Silicone’s backbone is made of silicon and oxygen, while most rubbers have backbones made of carbon-carbon bonds. Silicone is typically non-reactive, stable, and extreme-environment resistant. Compared to rubber, silicone is more heat-, chemical-, and ozone-resistant. Silicone Rubber Uses Silicone and cured silicone rubber’s desirable properties make it common in a wide range of products. Silicone rubber can be found in insulators, automobiles, cooking, baking, and food storage products, apparel—especially sportswear—and footwear. Silicone rubber is also commonly found in electronics, medical devices, and in silicone sealants for home repair. Where does rubber come from? As its name suggests, the rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis originally came from Brazil, from where it was introduced to such countries of the Far East as Malaysia, Indonesia, Burma, Cambodia, China, and Vietnam. During World War II, supplies of natural rubber from these nations were cut off just when there was a huge demand from the military—and that accelerated the development of synthetic rubbers, notably in Germany and the United States. Today, most natural rubber still comes from the Far East, while Russia and its former republics, France, Germany, and the United States are among the world's leading producers of synthetic rubber. The world's largest single source of latex rubber is the Harbel Rubber Plantation near Monrovia in Liberia, Africa established in the 1920s and 1930s by the Firestone tire company. https://www.gofairubber.com/Rubber-products-pl3655743.html 2021ld