science

Rubber cement

Rubber cement is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Rubber cement rather than just read about it. In short: Rubber cement (cow gum in British English) (also referred to as AP glue) is an adhesive made from elastic polymers (typically latex) mixed in a solvent such as acetone, hexane, heptane or toluene to keep it fluid enough to be used. This makes it part of the class of drying adhesives: as the solvents quickly evaporate, the rubber solidifies, forming a strong yet flexible bond.

Key takeaways

Rubber cement belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Rubber cement to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Rubber cement from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Rubber cement (cow gum in British English) (also referred to as AP glue) is an adhesive made from elastic polymers (typically latex) mixed in a solvent such as acetone, hexane, heptane or toluene to keep it fluid enough to be used. This makes it part of the class of drying adhesives: as the solvents quickly evaporate, the rubber solidifies, forming a strong yet flexible bond.

Composition Rubber cement is simply a mixture of solid rubber in a volatile solvent that will dissolve it. When the cement is applied, the solvent evaporates, leaving the rubber as the adhesive. Almost any rubber (pre-vulcanized or not) can be used. The rubbers used might be natural rubber, gum mastic or gum arabic. Early solvents used included chloroform and benzene. A small percentage of alcohol is often added to the mix. In the United States, current formulations include n-heptane. In the United Kingdom, a product called Marabu-Fixogum uses acetone, while a product called Copydex uses ammonia. Many special compositions include hardeners and/or vulcanizing agents designed to improve the cohesion of the rubber. Water-based formulae, often stabilised by ammonia, are also available.

Usage Rubber cement is favoured in handicrafts applications, where easy and damage-free removal of adhesive is desired. For example, rubber cement is used as the marking fluid in erasable pens. Because rubber cements are designed to peel easily or rub off without damaging the paper or leaving any trace of adhesive behind, they are ideal for use in paste-up work where excess cement might need to be removed. It also does not become brittle like paste does. Older formula rubber cements are not considered an archivally sound adhesive because of their low pH value (making them acidic) and will cause deterioration of photographs and paper over time. Modern rubber cements are acid-free, making them ideal for archival purposes. Rubber cement thinners are also available, and are used to replace the solvent that evaporates from the container or to remove residual adhesive.

Hazards The solvents used in rubber cement present some hazards, including flammability and potential for abuse as inhalants. Therefore, as with any adhesive containing solvents, rubber cement should be used in an open area. Also, care needs be taken to avoid heat sources, as n-heptane and n-hexane are highly flammable. Rubber cement and rubber cement thinners that contain acetone will damage polished surfaces and many plastics.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Rubber cement

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Rubber cement claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Rubber cement before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Rubber cement ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Rubber cement

In research: Rubber cement appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Rubber cement in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Rubber cement is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Adhesives, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Rubber cement outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Rubber cement in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Rubber cement means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Rubber cement out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Rubber cement in simple terms?

Why does Rubber cement matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Rubber cement?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Rubber cement.