Crepe, or Plantation Rubber, is a natural material that’s predominantly made from latex tapped from Hevea brasiliensis, commonly known as Rubber tree. After being harvested in liquid form from the tree, the raw latex is then coagulated to form a semi-solid substance, and then crushed, pressed, and rolled into sheets using a series of machines.
The extract of rubber tree is coagulated with formic acid in a controlled environment. The coagulated substance is then processed in a "creping battery", a series of machines that crush, press and roll the rubber material. The sheets are hung in a heated drying shed and then sorted by grade and rolled up for transportation to the lamination process. In a lamination-table setup, layers of crepe are put on top of each other until the needed thickness is achieved. In case of blemishes in a layer of crepe added, they are cut out with scissors. The natural tack of rubber avoids subsequent tearing. The slab of sole crepe is passed through a pair of compression rolls to seal the layers and the pressed sheet is then trimmed to the dimensions required.
1. Used to make soles for shoes and boots
2. Used in raw material for further processed rubber products
