What is latex?

Here, for all those who are curious, is a detailed explanation of latex, how it is made, where it comes from and its uses in mattresses.

How is it composed?

The latex is a natural material with a white viscous consistency. The Latins used to indicate liquid substances with the term latex, while in the Italian language the name recalls that of milk. In this short article we will discover together what it is made of, how it is obtained and what its uses are, in short, from the moment of extraction to the finished product.

Where did it come from?

The lattice is nothing other than a sticky resin with elastic properties obtained from the rubber tree, whose scientific name is "Hevea Brasiliensis", a particular type of shrub found mostly in the Amazon forest. To be exploited commercially, it is cultivated extensively in the warmest areas of Africa and Asia.

Natural?

The elastic properties of the lattice are given mainly by rubber, a well-known organic elastomer, present in large quantities inside mixed with water. Although it provides the best type of latex for elasticity, the rubber tree is not the only one from which it can be obtained this product organic, in fact, exist many other similar plants, all more or less of the same family. It follows that the latex thus obtained will not have the same quality, both in terms of physical and chemical properties. Substantially this type is obtained directly from the bark of trees by collecting the resin.

Synthetic?

There is also another type of lattice, that synthetic, that is, reproduced by mimicking the characteristics through specific laboratory processes. The synthetic latex is, to the naked eye, indistinguishable from the natural one, all that varies are the intrinsic characteristics. The major difference lies in the robustness: the lattice synthetic is usually more resistant than the natural one.

In conclusion…

After having seen the types and composition of the lattice< /span>, now let's look at the manufacturing processes together. After being collected, it is subjected to a manufacturing process. Initially we proceed by inserting air inside the liquid compound, in such a way as to obtain the latex foam , a product that combines the elastic properties of rubber with the softness necessary to provide the right support to the mattress. Here the foam is then inserted into special molds and subjected to a vulcanization process: this process gives greater tensile strength and significantly increases the elasticity of the compound. In this way abrasive and sticky properties are definitively eliminated. In addition, the foam is provided with greater resistance to the effects of atmospheric oxygen and a large number of chemicals.

The slabs of mattresses</ span> o cushions, after the process of vulcanization, they are then removed from the molds, washing away any remaining imperfections. Last but not least, an employee takes care of quality control and makes sure that everything is in order: only in this way is the product of lattice  will be destined for storage and subsequently for sale.