Kapok tree, also known as ceiba tree or silk cotton- tree, is deciduous tree that belongs to the mallow family. It originates from Central and South America, but it can be found in West Africa and Southeast Asia today. Kapok tree grows in tropical rainforests.
Native of tropical America, cultivated in Asia and a common village-tree in Malaysia. This well-known tree is grown for the wool or kapok, obtained from the fruits. It is used for stuffing cushions, pillows, mattresses and life-jackets. The uses of kapok fibres do not induce allergy and do not contain toxins.
History Latex
Natural rubber was a critical pillar of Malaysia’s export oriented economy throughout much of the 20th century. Early in that century rubber overtook tin as Malaya’s main export earner and was the dominant component in accounting for variations in export growth.
The term latex is often used as a synonym for rubber, but the term actually refers to any liquid medium that holds a suspension of tiny polymer particles. Latex is a natural plant substance, but it can also be manufactured by chemical processes.
Latex is harvested from the trees by slitting the bark and allowing the milky latex to seep out for collection, a process similar to that used to tap maple trees for sap. After tapping, chemicals are added to keep the latex from stiffening up. It may go through processes like coagulation, centrifugation, compounding, vulcanization, stripping, leaching, chlorination, and lubrication in creating the final natural rubber product
