Natural Rubber in sheet forms are the oldest and the most popular type. Being the simplest and easiest to produce on a small sacle, small holder's rubber in most of the countries are processed and marketed as sheet rubber. Two types of sheet Rubbers are produced and marketed in the international market, namely the Ribbed smoked sheets(RSS) and the Air Dried Sheets(ADS). Among these two types, Ribbed smoked sheet is the most popular and is available for volume consumption.
Ribbed smoked sheets are marketed based on visual assessment of quality. To establish acceptable grades for commercial purposes, the international Rubber Quality and Packing conference, have stipulated the grade description and the details are given in the Green Book
The International Grade Descriptions For Ribbed Smoked Sheets (RSS
Only deliberately coagulated rubber latex processed into rubber sheets, properly dried and smoked can be used in making Ribbed Smoked Sheets. The following prohibitions are also applicable to the Ribbed Smoked Sheets grade. Prior to grading Ribbed Smoked Sheets (RSS), the sheets are separated, inspected and any blemishes are removed by cutting with a pair of scissors.
Grade Descriptions
Number 1 Ribbed Smoked Sheet (RSS 1)
Each bale must be packed free of mould but very slight traces of dry mould on wrappers or bale surfaces adjacent to wrapper found at the time of delivery will not be objected to provided there is no penetration of mould inside the bale. Oxidised spots or streaks, weak, heated, undercured, oversmoked, opaque and burnt sheets are not permissible. The rubber must be dry, clean, strong sound and from blemishes, rust, blisters, sand, dirty packing and any other foreign matter, except slight specks. Small pinhead bubbles, if scattered, will not be objected to.
