How Are Elastic Bands Made?
Introduction From holding bouquets of flowers together to keeping daily newspapers folded or rolled, elastic bands (also called rubber bands) are surely one of the 20th century’s most useful and convenient products ever invented. With the multiple industrial, household and other uses that they can be put to, elastic bands have become virtually indispensable items in our daily lives, ever since latex–the rubber tree sap used to produce rubber–was discovered. History While Englishman Thomas Hancock is credited with the creation of the first basic elastic (rubber) band in 1820, his self-developed masticator machine was the forerunner of today’s modern, elastic band-manufacturing milling machines. Subsequently, the first elastic bands were patented by Thomas Perry, another Englishman, in 1845. While it’s true that synthetic rubber accounts for approximately 75 percent of all rubber products produced today, organic (natural) rubber is the main ingredient still used for producing elastic b
