What kind of rubber is "Environmentally Friendly Rubber Material"?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of "Environmentally Friendly Rubber Material," specifically in the context of rubber toys and their safety for infants. Participants explore the definitions and varieties of rubber, the implications of marketing terminology, and the need for identifying specific products to assess safety and environmental claims.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the variety of rubber types and the meaning of "Environmentally Friendly Rubber Material," particularly regarding safety for infants.
  • Another participant references a Wikipedia article on natural rubber varieties but notes the ambiguity in marketing terms related to rubber.
  • Concerns are raised about the safety of toys made in China, with a request for help in identifying specific ingredients and their safety implications.
  • A participant mentions using a Raman spectrometer to analyze a rubber sample but reports no match with known rubber spectra, seeking further information on rubber compositions.
  • There is a distinction made between safety and environmental friendliness, suggesting that these concepts may not align.
  • One participant expresses skepticism about the ability to determine safety on the forum and mentions legal restrictions on selling such products in certain regions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the definitions and implications of "environmentally friendly" and "safe" rubber. There is no consensus on the safety of the products discussed, and the discussion remains unresolved regarding the specific types of rubber and their safety for infants.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the lack of specific product identification, potential ambiguity in marketing language, and unresolved technical details regarding rubber composition and safety testing methods.

jake jot
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How many kinds of rubber are there? And what does "Environment Friendly Rubber Material" mean? Hundreds of thousands of babies put these in their mouth and lick them continuously.
toy abs with rubber.jpg
 
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Engineering news on Phys.org
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_rubber#Varieties

But there are no language police to prevent marketing campaigns from using the word rubber for almost anything. I don't think we will be able to give you a specific answer unless you give us the identity of the specific product.
 
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anorlunda said:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_rubber#Varieties

But there are no language police to prevent marketing campaigns from using the word rubber for almost anything. I don't think we will be able to give you a specific answer unless you give us the identity of the specific product.
front label.jpg


label zoom.jpg


back label.jpg


These are made in china. Does anyone know how to read chinese here? Some PF members from China?
 
anorlunda said:
But there are no language police to prevent marketing campaigns from using the word rubber for almost anything.
Nor the term "environmentally friendly". When I clicked the thread title/link, I found the question is about safety, not the environment. They are totally different things - in some ways, even opposites.
 
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Note these toys made in china are sold in amazon and the USA and millions worldwide use them. So we need to identity the exact ingredients.

I tried to google food grade rubber and I saw this.

https://www.aquasealrubber.co.uk/products/food-grade-rubber/

rubbers list.JPG


I let someone with access to a Raman spectrometer scan it.

Raman of unknown rubber.JPG


I tried to match the above to each spectrum of the list. No match. Can anyone give all lists of rubbers so I can match? Does rubber come with alloys meaning they mixed different thing to make the rubber in the toy?

Also what molecule is the peak close to 3000 cm-1 ?
 
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jake jot said:
Note these toys made in china are sold in amazon and the USA and millions worldwide use them. So we need to identity the exact ingredients.
Who is we?
 
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I think the question that needs to be answered is 'is this product safe for an infant child?' We cannot answer this on PhysicsForums.

It would not be legal for Amazon or anyone else to import or sell this product in the UK or anywhere in Europe.
 
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Thanks to everyone - time to close the thread
 
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