Is latex natural or synthetic?

A fantasy or concept note, not a single material.

latex

AccordPOPULAR & WEIRDcreamy · fruity · fresh

Seven perfumesOne of them is looking at you

Heart·BasePyramid

—Strength

—Tenacity

—Origins

Editorial noteWe own no rights to this material, its name or its trademark. This entry is independent editorial journalism, published under freedom of expression.

Specimen

Fantasy/Concept

Definition

Latex is a sticky, milky white colloid drawn from the Pará rubber tree, the main source of natural rubber. In perfume, a rubber note is an olfactory impression of a familiar manufactured material.

RUBBERY INDUSTRIAL SULFUROUS PHENOLIC

Rubber, India rubber, Amazonian rubber, caucho, caoutchouc

Type: Accord
Olfactive family: Leather
Subfamily: Smoky leathers
Cluster: Smoky leather

Instruments

Pyramid

TTop

HHeart

BBase

Scent

Its impression can come across as sharper, sweeter or more discreet, depending on the fragrance around it.

In PREMIEREPEAU

DISCOVERY SET7 × 2 ml →NUIT ÉLASTIQUEExtrait →EXTRAIT DE PARFUMThe seven extraits →

The Full Story

Rubber is also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, caucho or caoutchouc.

Natural rubber consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. It is harvested mainly in the form of the latex from the Pará rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) or others. The latex is a sticky, milky and white colloid.

Source

Hevea brasiliensis is originally native to the Amazon basin, but is now pantropical in distribution due to introductions. The milky latex extracted from the tree is the primary source of natural rubber.

Processing

An ammonia solution can be used to prevent the coagulation of raw latex. Ammoniation, invented around 1920, preserves the latex in a colloidal state for longer periods of time. Sulfur vulcanization makes the rubber stronger and more rigid, but still very elastic.

Odour of rubber products

A study of ten commercial rubber pillows identified 44 volatile organic compounds. Sulfur compounds such as carbon disulfide and benzothiazole were detected frequently in all samples. The presence of benzothiazole was attributed to its role in the vulcanization process.

This note in PREMIEREPEAU. Nuit Élastique. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

—

Did You Know?

In 1876 Henry Wickham smuggled 70,000 Amazonian rubber tree seeds from Brazil and delivered them to Kew Gardens, England. Malaya, now Peninsular Malaysia, later became the biggest producer of rubber. Wickham falsely declared the seeds as academic specimens. The word vulcanization was suggested by William Brockedon, after the god Vulcan, who was associated with heat and sulfur in volcanoes.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method

Natural rubber latex is drawn off by making incisions in the bark of the rubber tree and collecting the fluid in vessels, a process called tapping. Harvesters make incisions across the latex vessels, just deep enough to tap the vessels without harming the tree's growth, and the latex is collected in small buckets.

Synonyms: Rubber, India rubber, Amazonian rubber, caucho, caoutchouc

IFRA status

See note

No IFRA Standard for the material itself (51st Amendment)

Physical properties

Melting point: approximately 180 °C (356 °F) (natural rubber)

In Perfumery

Rubber in perfume can suggest an urban setting, adding an unexpected edge beside soft flowers or sweeter notes. The effect need not dominate a fragrance: it may be a brief contrast within a much gentler composition.

Role in the formula

01modifier

02accent

Available as

synthetic accord fantasy note