Pencils are the very first thing we used to write in our childhood days. We often make mistakes while writing. The eraser or rubber is the thing we used to erase or remove the marks or mistakes we made while writing. The eraser or rubber is manufactured from the material called natural rubber. It has many shapes and flavors for children.
Eraser vs Rubber
The main difference between an eraser and a rubber is that the eraser is a thing used to erase the marks in the paper. On the other hand, rubber is a raw material that has many purposes. The eraser is also made of rubber. the eraser and rubber are different terms with similar meanings. In the USA people use the term eraser, whereas in the UK people use the term rubber.
An eraser is a stationary product used to erase the marks written on aper by pencils and pen. The common material or consistency of the eraser is rubbery. It is prepared from the liquid taken from the rubber tree. The erasers are produced in different sizes, shapes, and flavors. Even erasers are present on the top of the pencils. Synthetic erases are less expensive erasers. In synthetic erasers, synthetic soy-based gum is used in the preparation. The erasers made of vinyl, plastic are expensive when compare to synthetic rubbers. The erasers are also prepared from gum-like materials.
Rubber has stretch and shrinks properties. The rubber comes to its original shape after an elastomer. The rubber is produced from the bark of the rubber tree. Even artificially the rubbers were also synthesized to meet the demands. Synthetic rubber and natural rubber are the two varieties of rubber. By the process called tapping, the rubber is extracted from the rubber tree. The primary purpose of rubber is to remove marks on the paper. Many different varieties of rubbers are also present. After collecting the latex, formic acid is used to thicken the rubber.
Comparison Table Between Eraser and Rubber
What is Eraser?
Erasers are invented to remove the mistake made when we are using pencils. Later ink erases are introduced to remove the marks of ink pens. The term erasers are also used to the thing which is used to remove the chalkboards and markerboards. White is the common color of the eraser but the addition of flavors makes it look in different colors. The color of the ink eraser is pink. Wax tablets are used to remove the lead marks in the paper before the invention of rubber. Even sandstones and pumice are also used to remove the mistakes made while writing with ink pens.
During the Meiji period, bread erasers were used to remove the marks. Edward Narine is the one who introduced the commercial eraser in 1770. He is an English engineer. Until 1770, people used gum elastic. After 1770, erasers become the common object to remove anything. The vulcanization process was discovered by Charles Goodyear in 1839 which make the eraser more durable. The introduction of vulcanization will advent the production of erasers.
Hymen Lipman received the patent for the eraser in 1858. The cap eraser is common nowadays. The barrel erasers are attracted many people. In a barrel, shape erasers are filled in rectangular shapes. Soft vinyl is the material used in common eraser manufacturing. Different types of erasers are available in the market.
What is Rubber?
Rubbers are dried using rollers or by air drying. Natural rubber them processed manufacturing of various products. The processor plants are the second step after the collection of natural rubber. The processor plants make the final products. Rubbers are used to remove the marks made by pencils and pens. Different rubbers are used for different pens and pencils. Children love the flours added to the rubbers. Compounding, mixing, shaping, and vulcanizing are four primary steps in the production of rubber.
In compounding, chemicals are added to the natural rubber to increase the tensile strength of the rubber. In mixing, rubber is mixed with the additives. In shaping, four steps are involved. They are extrusion, calendering, molding or coating, and casting. Vulcanizing is the final and important step. In vulcanizing, sulfur cross-connections between the polymers of rubber are made. A cross-link of polymers is happening during the vulcanizing. It changes the natural rubber.
Rubbers are used for various purposes. They are used in tires and tubes, automobiles, clothing, flooring, erasers, adhesives, coatings, and rubber gloves. Soundproofing materials are also manufactured using rubber. Rubber toys are popular among kids. Synthetic rubber meets global needs and demand. Natural rubber is processed to synthetic and satisfy the demands.
Main Difference Between Eraser and Rubber
- Eraser is used to erase the marks on the paper, whereas rubber is used in clothing and tube making industries.
- An eraser has no other meaning, whereas another meaning of rubber is a condom in many countries.
- Eraser has seven types(pencil eraser, gum eraser, vinyl eraser, kneaded eraser, poster putty, electric eraser, fiberglass eraser) , whereas rubber has two types(natural, synthetic).
- Eraser is only a stationery material, whereas rubber is used as raw material to manufacture many products.
- Eraser is not a raw material, whereas rubber itself a raw material.
Conclusion
Eraser and rubber are similar things used to remove the marks made by the pencils and pens. They are different only by their names. But rubber is a raw material used for various purposes in the real world. The rubber is used in the clothing industry and tire industry. Many people love rubber toys and rubber products for their durability. Eraser is also made from rubber and used to remove the marks. The eraser and rubber are denoting a similar thing which is used to erase the marks. The names are different in different countries.
References
- https://journals.aps.org/pra/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevA.65.033818
- https://www.nature.com/articles/nmat2145