Life Cycle of Rubber Bands
Introduction
For the life cycle project I chose to investigate the life cycle of rubber bands. I chose rubber bands because I have always been curious how they are made and how or if we recycle them in society.
Timeline
raise and extract
While other rubber products use synthetic rubber, most rubber bands are primarily manufactured using natural rubber because of its superior elasticity. Rubber bands are made of latex which is acquired by tapping into the bark layers of the rubber tree, also known ad the hevea brasilienis.
process
Rubber bands are made of latex which is harvested from Rubber trees. The latex is a sticky and milky fluid collected by "tapping" the trees. The latex is then purified and refined in big vats and turned into rubber slabs, they are then sent out to rubber factories. Once you have created the rubber you can start the process of making the rubber bands.
manufacture
The rubber at the factories is cut apart and put into mixer, along with dyes or other chemicals. It is then milled and kneaded, which creates heat and soften it making it easier to form dough. The dough is put through a machine that looks like two metal rolling pins, which flattens it. They then cut it into strips and fed it into an extruding machine which forces the rubber out in long, hollow tubes. The tube tare filled with air and talcum powered and then forced over aluminum poles (molds) called mandrels, which have been covered with more talcum powder to keep the rubber from sticking. The poles are loaded onto racks that are steamed and heated in large machines to vulcanize the rubber and boost it's tensile strength and elasticity. Removed from the poles and washed to remove the talcum powder, the tubes of rubber are fed into another machine that slices them into finished rubber bands. They are then sold by weight, because they tend to clump together.
use
On March 17, 1845, Stephen Perry invented the rubber band to hold papers or envelopes together. Today we still use rubber bands to do just that, they hold important files and papers together. They are also used everyday for household uses, like holding bags of food together, tie dying shirts and even jewelry.
dispose
Rubber bands are technically compostable since they come from the sap of the rubber tree, and the rule with composting is: If it once was alive, it can be composted. However, they take a very long time to break down or biodegrade. So the best way to recycle rubber bands is to reuse them is crafts or household jobs.
While other rubber products use synthetic rubber, most rubber bands are primarily manufactured using natural rubber because of its superior elasticity. Rubber bands are made of latex which is acquired by tapping into the bark layers of the rubber tree, also known ad the hevea brasilienis.
process
Rubber bands are made of latex which is harvested from Rubber trees. The latex is a sticky and milky fluid collected by "tapping" the trees. The latex is then purified and refined in big vats and turned into rubber slabs, they are then sent out to rubber factories. Once you have created the rubber you can start the process of making the rubber bands.
manufacture
The rubber at the factories is cut apart and put into mixer, along with dyes or other chemicals. It is then milled and kneaded, which creates heat and soften it making it easier to form dough. The dough is put through a machine that looks like two metal rolling pins, which flattens it. They then cut it into strips and fed it into an extruding machine which forces the rubber out in long, hollow tubes. The tube tare filled with air and talcum powered and then forced over aluminum poles (molds) called mandrels, which have been covered with more talcum powder to keep the rubber from sticking. The poles are loaded onto racks that are steamed and heated in large machines to vulcanize the rubber and boost it's tensile strength and elasticity. Removed from the poles and washed to remove the talcum powder, the tubes of rubber are fed into another machine that slices them into finished rubber bands. They are then sold by weight, because they tend to clump together.
use
On March 17, 1845, Stephen Perry invented the rubber band to hold papers or envelopes together. Today we still use rubber bands to do just that, they hold important files and papers together. They are also used everyday for household uses, like holding bags of food together, tie dying shirts and even jewelry.
dispose
Rubber bands are technically compostable since they come from the sap of the rubber tree, and the rule with composting is: If it once was alive, it can be composted. However, they take a very long time to break down or biodegrade. So the best way to recycle rubber bands is to reuse them is crafts or household jobs.
Sources
Read more: http://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Rubber-Band.html#ixzz5GwaBy8ph
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEIAYBGRyYY
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Rubber-Band.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEIAYBGRyYY
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Rubber-Band.html
Conclusion Questions
a. The product life cycle, is the process and stages a product goes through from start to finish, the life of a product. All of the events that occur forming the product from raw materials to how it is used and then finally to when it is either recycled or thrown into the landfill. The five steps of the lifecycle; Raise and Extract, Process, Manufacture, Use, and Dispose.
b. It is important for the companies to research and determine a certain purpose for their product because you do not to spend millions of dollars to create a product that hurts the environment. The product created should be able to be recycled because then it can be recreated reducing the organic waste.
c. I would change rubber bands and make them from a substance that can be recycled into new rubber products, because right now all they can do is biodegrade which takes a very long time.
d. We have been using regular rubber bands for over 150 years now and people could live without them, but life would not be as easy. So I think eventually we as a society will invent a new type of rubber band we can use that is better for the environment.
e. A trade-off is a balance achieved between two variables, or a compromise. When creating rubber bands people had to realize that although they are tapping and essentially hurting the hevea brasilienis trees, that taking small amount from trees would benefit society because we use the bands everyday, and they make our lives easier.
f. There were defiantly trade-offs made in the design process of making rubber bands, from compromising on what type of "sap" to which type of tree, to get the rubber band we know today. Also in our more recent society we have to compromise on what types of machines make the least pollution that effect the atmosphere and the environment.
g. It is very important to recycle because our Earth is dying. Everything we manufacture on Earth creates pollution which harms our atmosphere and environment, and because all of human kind lives on Earth we should recycle in effort too save it. If we recycle it will reduce the waste and the pollution saving our ecosystems.
h. Product designers play a huge role in recycling because they make sure products can be reused or recycled. They decide what material to make products and want to make sure that it can biodegrade, and not harm the environment.
i. Society has the biggest role on recycling, we are the ones who have the choice to recycle or not. Most citizens of America and the world don't recycle because it takes too much effort, they are lazy and don't want to pay for it. But if we recycle more and create more recyclable product our Earth will be much healthier.
j. In order to help I could recycle any items I use, and help spread the word about recycling and how it saves our environment. One little act no matter how small could help save our world, and it will create a domino effect, once one person starts to recycle or use paper bags instead of plastic the world will be greener!
b. It is important for the companies to research and determine a certain purpose for their product because you do not to spend millions of dollars to create a product that hurts the environment. The product created should be able to be recycled because then it can be recreated reducing the organic waste.
c. I would change rubber bands and make them from a substance that can be recycled into new rubber products, because right now all they can do is biodegrade which takes a very long time.
d. We have been using regular rubber bands for over 150 years now and people could live without them, but life would not be as easy. So I think eventually we as a society will invent a new type of rubber band we can use that is better for the environment.
e. A trade-off is a balance achieved between two variables, or a compromise. When creating rubber bands people had to realize that although they are tapping and essentially hurting the hevea brasilienis trees, that taking small amount from trees would benefit society because we use the bands everyday, and they make our lives easier.
f. There were defiantly trade-offs made in the design process of making rubber bands, from compromising on what type of "sap" to which type of tree, to get the rubber band we know today. Also in our more recent society we have to compromise on what types of machines make the least pollution that effect the atmosphere and the environment.
g. It is very important to recycle because our Earth is dying. Everything we manufacture on Earth creates pollution which harms our atmosphere and environment, and because all of human kind lives on Earth we should recycle in effort too save it. If we recycle it will reduce the waste and the pollution saving our ecosystems.
h. Product designers play a huge role in recycling because they make sure products can be reused or recycled. They decide what material to make products and want to make sure that it can biodegrade, and not harm the environment.
i. Society has the biggest role on recycling, we are the ones who have the choice to recycle or not. Most citizens of America and the world don't recycle because it takes too much effort, they are lazy and don't want to pay for it. But if we recycle more and create more recyclable product our Earth will be much healthier.
j. In order to help I could recycle any items I use, and help spread the word about recycling and how it saves our environment. One little act no matter how small could help save our world, and it will create a domino effect, once one person starts to recycle or use paper bags instead of plastic the world will be greener!