This document provides an overview of rubber technology, including: - What rubber is made of and its properties after vulcanization, which involves crosslinking the polymer chains. - The history of natural rubber extraction and use dating back to 1600 BC, and its commercialization in the 19th century. - How rubber plantations replaced wild harvesting as the main source of rubber in the late 19th/early 20th century. - The development of synthetic rubber in the mid-20th century and its rise to 75% of the rubber market by 1964. - Common products made from rubber across various industries like rail, mining, industrial, agriculture, and more.