Pearl formation of agricultural futures: from white snake to rubber

The fireflies in the grass went out, and the trees and birds in the forest were scared away. I entered the mountain with a rubber basket in my waist, and Qionghua was crushed all the way.

-Huang's "Xijiangyue midnight percussion"

Mysterious substances in the Amazon jungle

(History of Natural Rubber)

Natural rubber (NR) is an elastic solid made by curing natural latex secreted by Hevea brasiliensis. Its main component is polyisoprene, and it also contains a small amount of protein, lipids, organic acids, sugars and ash. Natural rubber has the characteristics of resilience, insulation, water resistance and plasticity. It has a wide range of uses and is an indispensable resource for modern human production and life.

According to statistics, there are about 2000 different plants in the world that can produce polymers similar to natural rubber, and human beings have obtained rubber from 500 of them. However, only Hevea brasiliensis has real utilization value. Only in the Amazon basin of South America is there a three-leaf Brazilian rubber tree. For more than 500 years, local people have been using this tree emulsion to make daily necessities such as water bottles, tobacco and waterproof shoes. When the skin of this tree is cut, the latex tube in the bark is cut off and latex will flow out of the tree. Latex flows out as if the tree is crying, so natural rubber is often compared to "the tears of the tree". /kloc-In the 6th century, Spanish conquistadors stumbled upon this interesting material and brought it to Europe. At that time, raw rubber was expensive, and the rubber industry was monopolized by Brazilian rubber tycoons for more than a century. From 65438 to 0876, the British explorer Henry planned to collect thousands of rubber trees from Brazil and smuggle them to Britain. Under the laws and regulations at that time, taking out a rubber tree species from Brazil was punishable by death, not to mention thousands. This plan has great risks. Fortunately, Henry succeeded in bringing a large number of rubber trees back to London. These precious tree species were sown and cultivated in the Royal Botanical Garden, and nearly 3,000 rubber saplings were cultivated. Later, these saplings were transported to the then British colonies of Sri Lanka and Malaysia. Long-term drifting at sea has caused only a small part of these saplings to survive, but these saplings have stubbornly multiplied most of the rubber forests in Asia today.

Getting rich depends on rubber

(Rubber planting and sales)

The main source of natural rubber is Hevea brasiliensis, which is an evergreen tree with straight roots, three leaves and leathery entire edges. Hevea brasiliensis likes high temperature, high humidity, calm wind and fertile soil, and is suitable for planting under the following conditions: the annual average temperature is 26℃-27℃, which is higher than15℃ all the year round; The annual rainfall is more than 2500mm, which is evenly distributed; The annual average relative humidity is above 80%; Soil layer 1m or more, surface layer 20-30 cm, containing more than 3% organic matter. The soil PH is 5-6, preferably loam, and the groundwater level is1.5-2m; A windless area below 300 meters above sea level. Therefore, low latitudes such as Southeast Asia are very suitable.

Hevea brasiliensis originated in the western region of Marayo in the Amazon River basin of Brazil. After nearly two centuries of cultivation and diffusion, it has spread to more than 40 countries and regions in Asia, Africa, Oceania and Latin America. At present, natural rubber cultivation is mainly concentrated in Southeast Asia, accounting for about 95% of the world's total planting area. The top 9 rubber producers in the world are from Asia, namely, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, China, Viet Nam, India, Cambodia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. The total output of these nine countries accounts for 90% of the global total output. In recent five years, the rubber planting areas in Indonesia, Malaysia and China tend to be saturated, and the growth has slowed down. However, the rubber planting area of India, Vietnam, northern Thailand, Cambodia and other emerging rubber-producing countries is more active and still has considerable growth. This is determined by the development of the national economy. Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam are relatively backward in economy, and planting rubber can bring considerable income to local farmers.

Large-scale rubber planting in China began after the founding of the People's Republic of China. Through continuous experiments, the scientific and technological workers of China Agricultural Reclamation broke the conclusion that the north of north latitude 15 degree is the forbidden area for rubber tree planting in Brazil, and successfully planted it in southern China, and popularized it in Hainan, Yunnan, Guangdong and other provinces. The planting area is about 65438+200,000 hectares and the annual output is about 800,000 tons. Natural rubber is an important strategic material and industrial raw material. In 2007, the General Office of the State Council issued the Opinions on Promoting the Development of China's Natural Rubber Industry, which provided the guiding ideology, basic principles, development goals and specific measures for the development of China's natural rubber industry. In addition, in recent two years, the No.1 Document of the Central Committee has promoted the reform of agricultural supply side, promoted the development of China's natural rubber industry, and effectively reduced the external dependence of China's natural rubber resources. At present, China has established two natural rubber industrial bases in Yunnan and Hainan, accounting for 97%-98% of the total planting area in china rubber.

Rubber trees can be tapped after 5 years of growth, and enter the mature period (vigorous period) after 8 years. In recent five years, the cutting rate of natural rubber in China is about 60%, and the cutting efficiency is constantly improving, and the growth rate of cutting area is higher than that of planting area. In 20 18, the total planted area of natural rubber in China increased by 3.45% and the harvested area increased by 8.33% (see the figure below).

Figure Natural rubber planting area in China (1000 hectares)

Rubber trees also hibernate.

(seasonality of rubber)

According to historical data, the natural rubber industry is seasonal. The seasonality of natural rubber is divided into supply and demand.

(1) Seasonality of supply

Supply is determined by the output of natural rubber and the productivity of natural rubber industry.

One is the seasonality of natural rubber production. The supply of natural rubber is mainly determined by rubber planting. As we all know, agriculture is one of the industries most affected by seasons. Taking China's natural rubber output as an example, China's rubber planting industry often begins to try cutting in March, and the output in that month is very small. After the Yunnan Songkran Festival in mid-April, domestic rubber production was reduced in an all-round way. Generally speaking, the recovery period of natural rubber production is from mid-April to June. With the increase of rainfall in July and August, the output begins to rise gradually, and often reaches the peak of monthly output of -65438+ 10 in September. In June165438+1October, as the temperature began to drop, the rainfall decreased and the natural rubber output began to decline. Cutting stopped in February 65438, and the output was very low. The output in1-February is almost zero. From a regional perspective, the two major natural rubber producing areas in China are Yunnan and Hainan. The tapping season in Yunnan is from the middle of April to the end of 1 1, and the tapping season in Hainan is from the end of March to the end of 65438+February.

Because of latitude and climate, the tapping season in Southeast Asia is different from that in China. Take Thailand as an example. Hevea brasiliensis trees in Thailand are often cut down in May and June, and the yield fluctuates from July to1October, which is in165438+1October, but the average value is high. Different from China, Thailand's rubber production is still high from 65438+February to February of the following year, and the cutting season is from March to April. In addition, Thailand is vulnerable to various natural factors (typhoons, floods, etc.). In summer, the monthly output of high-yield period is also prone to large fluctuations.

Second, the productivity of natural rubber industry is seasonal. In China, due to people's living habits and traditional holidays, February and July-August are often the off-season of production, and the rest months are relatively the peak season of production. In February, affected by the Spring Festival, a large number of factories were shut down, workers returned home for the New Year, and production was at a standstill. The weather is hot in July and August, and the work efficiency of workers is relatively low, so the output is also small. From the industry point of view, the main related industries of natural rubber are tire manufacturing, automobiles, shoe materials and rubber products.

(2) Seasonal demand

The market demand of natural rubber products is also affected by the seasons. In China, the heavy truck industry accounts for a large proportion of natural rubber consumption, so the demand for heavy trucks reflects the demand for natural rubber. The annual sales peak season of heavy trucks is divided into two parts, one starting from February and the other starting from 10. Just after the Spring Festival in February, large-scale projects such as real estate and infrastructure started, and there was a great demand for logistics, which boosted the sales of heavy trucks. During the 10 period, China residents' mass consumption (housing and automobiles) had the characteristics of "golden nine and silver ten", and the sales of real estate and automobiles were large, and the sales of heavy trucks were also boosted. From February, 65438 to the following year 10, the sales of heavy trucks entered a low point due to the suspension of projects in the north and the approaching Spring Festival. In addition, June-August is also the traditional off-season of heavy truck sales.

From Tofu to Shaqima

Processing and classification of rubber

Natural rubber can be divided into wild rubber, cultivated rubber, rubber grass rubber and Eucommia rubber according to sources. According to the morphology, it can be divided into solid natural rubber (film and particle rubber) and concentrated latex. According to the process, it can be divided into: cigarette glue, standard glue, wrinkle glue and latex. These four processes are described as follows.

(1) tobacco sheet adhesive (RSS)

It is divided into six grades: one, two, three, four, five and super. The tobacco flakes are packed in sheets, which are yellow, preferably golden yellow. Grades are often judged by visual colors.

Process: 35% latex-filtering to remove impurities-adding water to dilute-defoaming-adding acid to solidify-removing water-tabletting-smoking and drying.

The production of cigarette gum should be completed before latex solidification, and the latex solidification time is 3 hours, so the production process must be connected quickly.

Main uses: tire factory, cable factory and conveyor belt factory.

(2) Standard glue

According to impurity content, initial plasticity, plastic retention rate, nitrogen content, volatile content, ash content, color, etc., with impurity content as the main index, it can be divided into 5L, 5, 10, 20, 50, etc. At present, the mainstream of the international market is No.20 standard glue, and 3L produced in Vietnam is also a standard glue. The colors of 3L and 5L are yellow, and other types of labels are dark. Standard glue can be divided into particle glue and extrusion glue, and extrusion glue is an additional crushing process on the basis of particle glue. China's tire technology determines that China mainly uses granular rubber, so most of them are imported. Extrusion glue is widely used in foreign processes.

Production technology: 1. Mechanical method: latex-filtration-dilution-acid coagulation-dehydration-drying; The second is chemical method: latex-coagulant-centrifugal separation-drying.

Main uses: tire factory.

(3) Crease glue

Generally, it can be divided into white wrinkles and brown wrinkles, which are mainly produced by garbage glue, such as cement and micelle.

(4) latex

It is obtained by adding amine to latex and centrifugal separation, which is divided into high amine latex and low amine latex. Latex is a liquid, volatile, usually stored in barrels or space packaging.

Main uses: glove factory, shoe factory, family planning supplies.

Travel notes of tire rims

(Circulation and consumption of rubber)

From 20 14 to 20 18, the actual consumption of natural rubber in China showed an increasing trend. In 20 18, the global consumption of natural rubber was 138 10000 tons, of which the consumption of No.20 rubber was about 8.29 million tons. China, Europe, East Asia (including Japan and South Korea), India and the United States are the top five consuming countries (regions), accounting for 73% of the total consumption. About 70% of natural rubber in the world is used in tire manufacturing, and about 80% of them use 20 # rubber.

The monthly consumption of natural rubber in China has obvious seasonality. Generally speaking, the second and fourth quarters are the peak seasons for downstream consumption of natural rubber. In the first quarter, the consumption was low due to the Spring Festival, and in the third quarter, the construction volume was low due to the high temperature.

The demand for natural rubber is mainly in the tire industry. The weight of an all-steel tire is about 65 kg and the proportion of natural rubber is about 32.25%. The weight of semi-steel tire is about 12kg, and the proportion of natural rubber is about 22%. Compared with the amount of natural rubber in rubber tubes, latex products and shoe materials, the amount of natural rubber in tire industry is much larger.

Domestic natural rubber consumption is naturally tires, and the tire industry accounts for more than 70% of domestic natural rubber consumption. Latex products and rubber overshoes each account for 8% of the total. Power tires (bicycle tires, handcart tires, motorcycle tires, multi-purpose vehicle tires) account for about 6%. Rubber products such as rubber hose and tape account for about 4%.

There is a big difference in tire consumption in different regions of China. Because raw rubber is mostly used in the tire industry, the consumption of natural rubber in various regions is mainly evaluated by the volume of the tire industry.

Across the country, the tire production capacity in East China is far ahead of other regions, accounting for about 75% of the national tire enterprises, so the rubber consumption in East China is also the first in the country, accounting for about 70% of the total. The number of tire manufacturers in Northeast China is second only to that in East China, so the consumption of natural rubber is also very large, accounting for about 7% of the country. There are few tire enterprises in South China, but the industries such as shoemaking and latex are densely distributed, accounting for about 6% of the national natural rubber consumption. Rubber pipes, conveyor belts and products are mainly distributed in North China, and the consumption of natural rubber is also quite large, accounting for about 5%.

The consequences of Pearl Harbor.

(Rubber Substitute Market)

Although natural rubber has magical properties, it also has a strong competitor-synthetic rubber.

Before World War II, Manaus in northern Brazil and Amazon Plain tried to plant rubber trees respectively, but both failed because of Fusarium wilt and competition from the same industry in Asia. At that time, there was a great demand for rubber in America. At the end of 1930s, American natural rubber imports accounted for 65,438+0/8 of its total imports, mainly from Asia. At this time, the development of high-quality artificial rubber has not yet begun.

194 1 year, Pearl Harbor broke out and the United States declared war. At this time, Japan has controlled a lot of land in Southeast Asia, and Japan, which also has a great demand for rubber, controls 95% of the global natural rubber supply. As a result, the United States fell into a crisis in the rubber industry. At that time, the US military industry needed 0.5 tons of rubber to build a Sherman tank and 20,000 rubber parts to build a warship. Every inch of wire needed to be wrapped in rubber. The United States should not only develop its own army, but also provide a large number of military equipment to its allies, but the rubber reserve is only enough for one year.

The US government attaches great importance to rubber, a strategic material, and soon banned the use of rubber in non-war necessities, and required domestic vehicles to slow down to slow down tire wear. Various waste purchasing warehouses in the United States try their best to recycle rubber. However, rubber resources are still not enough for long-term use in the United States.

Soon, the American government ordered chemists and engineers to develop synthetic rubber, but it was not until after World War II that synthetic rubber with really good performance was developed. The Americans first made chloroprene rubber, which has corrosion resistance that natural rubber does not have. From 65438 to 0955, Americans polymerized isoprene with Ziegler-Natta catalyst to obtain synthetic natural rubber with basically the same structure as natural rubber. Since then, all kinds of synthetic rubber with special properties have come out one after another, and the output far exceeds that of natural rubber.

At present, there are several commonly used composite rubbers: styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), cis-butadiene rubber (BR), chloroprene rubber (CR), nitrile rubber (NBR), ethylene-propylene rubber (EPM, EPDM) and butyl rubber (IIR). In addition, there are chlorosulfonated polyethylene rubber (CSM), polyurethane rubber, polysulfide rubber (T), chlorohydrin rubber, acrylate rubber (ACM), silicone rubber, fluororubber (FPM) and fluorosilicone rubber (MFQ).