The term latex is often used as a synonym for rubber, but the term actually refers to any liquid medium that holds a suspension of tiny polymer particles. Latex is a natural plant substance, but it can also be manufactured by chemical processes.
Natural latex is a plant material found most famously in the rubber tree—but it is actually found in almost 10 percent of all plants. For example, opium is actually the dried latex from the opium poppy. Latex is not the same as sap but is a separate substance, created by the plant as protection against insects. Latex in plants is a complex mixture of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins, and gums that coagulates when exposed to the air. Plants use latex to seal themselves after injury, thereby protecting themselves against insects.
Latex can also be made synthetically, by polymerizing a variety of chemical substances and suspending them in an emulsion.
Natural Latex
Synthetic Latex
Synthetic latex is also a liquid emulsification of polymers, but rather than natural plant polymers, synthetic rubber uses various substances found in petroleum products. Synthetic rubbers are typically stronger and more stable than natural latex rubber for products such as tires. Some people believe that synthetic latex is also less likely to cause severe allergic reactions. However, people with certain chemical sensitivities may find synthetic latex to be more problematic than natural rubber.
