Process energy / dust
Mills, fibres, isocyanates, metal fume or silica — name the actual agent.
Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
Strength48
Heat resistance40
Fire performance18
Insulation38
Workability74
Circularity46
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Quick answers
Is Natural rubber non-combustible?
Declared reaction class in this atlas: combustible; tyres are a fire load. Assemblies still need resistance tests.
Does Natural rubber insulate?
Thermal mark 38/100 versus the atlas. Conductivity note: ~0.15 W/m·K.
What is the density band?
~0.92 g/cm³
How is it made?
Origin story: Mesoamerican use / Goodyear 1839 / Wickham 1876 (Amazonia → Malaysia).
Can it be recycled?
Circularity mark 46/100 — editorial, route-specific.
Typical melting or failure heat?
elastomer; decomposes on heat
heat 40 · fire 18
Safety here is encyclopedia, not a workplace assessment. Name the agent: dust, isocyanate, fibre, fume, moisture, fire.
Fire class combustible; tyres are a fire load is reaction language unless an assembly test is cited.
Hazards
In service
Corrosion, moisture, UV or creep silently retire sections.
Fire products
Smoke, drip, fibres or toxicants depend on chemistry.
Cut / puncture
Handling injuries are more common than brochure failures.
Mis-specification
The wrong grade is the most expensive hazard.
Fire class
Reaction
combustible; tyres are a fire load
Resistance
Assemblies (EI, R, Type X) are not implied by the material letter.
Test families
EN 13501, ASTM E84, ISO 5660, KS F 2271 — they do not equal each other.
People vs structure
Clothing FR and steel R-ratings are different professions.
Environment
Carbon / energy
Primary production is energy-heavy; ask for a route, not a slogan.
Toxics / fibres
Additives, dusts and processing aids (not always the polymer backbone) drive regulation.
Water
Process water, leachate or moisture swelling.
End of life
Sortability beats theoretical recyclability.
Handling
Store dry and labelled
Grade mix-ups scrap lots.
PPE for the actual agent
Fibres, isocyanates, UV, sharp edges — not a generic “chemicals” pictogram.
Do not improvise fire class
Coatings and cavities change the letter.
Follow the WPS / DFT / compression
Installation is in the specification.
Codes move. Recheck KS, JIS, EN, NFPA and IBC editions for the job’s jurisdiction.
Keep exploring
More in Polymers
🧴
Polyethylene
The world’s volume plastic — bags, bottles, pipes and the UHMWPE cousin in medical and ballistic fibre.
Overall 40 🍳PTFE
Plunkett’s slippery fluoropolymer — non-stick, chemical linings and a high-temp plastic that still has a fire-and-fume story.
Overall 41 🫧Silicone
Si–O backbone elastomers and resins — bakeware, medical tubing, façade sealants and a kinder high-temp story than carbon chains.
Overall 55