Acronym and details: A hard substance exuded from tropical tree that softens in hot water
Group: thermoplastic
Developed: introduced from Far East in1843; wide range of products shown at 1851 Great Exhibition, London; use falls off in 1930s
Trade names:
Manufacturing process: compression moulding; extrusion
Cost: low
Colour: dark, but sometimes painted
Transparency: always opaque
Rigidity: normally rigid
Feel: old material is hard; modern gutta percha is often softer; dry-ish
Smell: none
Other: can look woody
Typical uses: golf balls; dentistry; insulation for submarine telephone cables; household uses similar to those of tin; fancy mouldings
Degradation: oxidises and embrittles, as a result mouldings are now scarce