Rubbers are elastomeric materials, whose dimensions can be greatly changed when stressed and which return to their original dimensions when the deforming stress is removed. It is the most fascinating material known to mankind on account of its range of applications in everyday life, defence, civilian purposes and its behaviour under the most diverse conditions of applications. In this review paper, history of rubber is discussed in detail to know about their origin. The general characteristics and physical properties of natural rubber and synthetic rubber are explained in this technical review.Acomparative approach is handled and both the types of rubber are distinguished. Besides, rubber physics is precisely discussed in order to understand their physical characteristics. Various rubber processing methods are described in this paper. The science and practice of rubber mixing during processing is discussed. In this article, fact sheets of rubber are provided in the form of tables for quick reference and to review easily. Finally, the applications of rubber and rubber products in engineering are discussed elaborately.

Key words: Rubber history, Natural rubber, Synthetic rubber, Vulcanization, Rubber physics, Rubber mixing, Rubber processing.