A material such as gutta-percha belongs to a variety of hard natural latex obtained from the sap of trees of the genus Palaquium, Isonandra and Dichopsis. The word itself comes from the name of the plant in Malay - "Geyha-Persa", which translates as "glove latex". Gutta-percha - which ones? This adjective is used both literally and figuratively.
Scientifically
What is the meaning of the word "gutta-percha"? From a scientific point of view, this material was classified in 1843 and assigned to useful natural thermoplastics. In the second half of the 19th century, gutta-percha was used for many domestic and industrial purposes.
In particular, this material was necessary as an insulating substance for underwater telegraph cables. Long before gutta-percha was introduced into the Western world, it was used in a less processed form by the natives of the Malaysian archipelago for the manufacture of handles for knives, canes for walking and other purposes.
The first European to discover this material was John Tradescant, who discovered it in the Far East in 1656. He called it the "Maser Forest." Dr. William Montgomery, a medical officer in the Indian Service, introduced gutta-percha into practical use in the West. He was the first to appreciate the potential of this material in medicine, and in 1843 he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Society of Arts in London.
Gutta percha tree
In Malaysia, the tree is known as the Taban, and people there have traditionally used hardened sap ("hanah") to make items such as molded handles for tools and knives. This natural latex, also called gutta-percha, is a very valuable product.
Palaquium gutta trees grow 5-30 m in height and are usually up to 1.5 m in diameter. The leaves are evergreen, alternating or spiraling, simple, whole, about 8-25 cm each. They are glossy green above and often yellow or bluish below.
Flowers appear in small clusters along the stems; each flower has a white corolla with four to seven (mostly six) sharp lobes. The fruit is an egg-shaped berry 3-7 cm in diameter, containing from one to four seeds. In many species, it is edible.
In Australia, gutta-percha is a generic name specifically used for the Excoecaria parvifolia tree, which gives aromatic, heavy, dark brown wood. It is also called the "northern birch." This particular species is not related to the genus Palaquium.
From a chemical point of view
What does gutta-percha mean? In the literal sense, it is made of gutta-percha. What kind of material from a chemical point of view? In its structure, it is a latex elastomer or polymer made of isoprene or polyisoprene. While latex rubbers are amorphous in molecular structure, gutta-percha (transstructure) crystallizes, resulting in a tighter consistency. Gutta-percha is an isoprene polymer that is soft when heated and can easily be molded into various shapes that are precisely detailed.
Use in Dentistry
The same bio-inertia that made gutta-percha suitable for marine cables was also useful for medical purposes, namely in dentistry. This material is used in many surgical devices and in root therapy (obturation or filling the empty space inside the root of the tooth after it has undergone endodontic therapy). Its physical and chemical properties, including inertness and biocompatibility, melting point, ductility and ductility, make it important in endodontics.
Historical use
Being biologically inert and stable, this type of latex is a good electrical insulator with high dielectric constant. Many types of wood are also valuable. The properties of gutta-percha were noticed by the Western world only in 1842, although the local Malay natives used it for many centuries. If this liquid (juice) is allowed to evaporate and coagulate in the sun, a hard latex is obtained, which can again be flexible if heated, but not brittle, unlike rubber obtained before vulcanization was discovered.
By 1845, telegraph wires insulated with gutta-percha were produced in Great Britain. Latex was an insulating material for early submarine telegraph cables, including the first transatlantic telegraph cable. Gutta-percha was particularly suitable for this, as it was not attacked by marine plants or animals that spoiled previous submarine cables.
The material was the main component of the Chatterton joint, used as an insulating sealant for telegraphs and other electrical cables. Since 1930, polyethylene has supplanted gutta-percha as an electrical insulator.
In the mid-19th century, gutta-percha was also used to make furniture, in particular by the Gutta-Percha company, founded in 1847. When heated, the material could be molded into furniture, jewelry or utensils. Some of these decorative pieces in the Renaissance style were shown at the Great Exhibition in 1851 at Hyde Park in London.
Modern use
It was also used to make mourning jewelry, because it was dark in color and could easily be molded into beads or other shapes. Pistol grip and shoulder pads were also made of gutta-percha, which gave them strength and durability. The guttie golf ball, which had a solid gutta-percha core, revolutionized the game.
This material remained the main industrial product in the twentieth century, but later it was gradually replaced by excellent quality synthetic materials. Despite its long history, gutta-percha is still in use today. Modern dentists continue to use it to fill the root canals.
Gutta-percha: meaning
What is this concept? So, in the literal sense, gutta-perches are those made from gutta-percha (natural rubber). In a figurative sense, this word has acquired a meaning associated with flexibility and elasticity. In relation to people, this definition began to be used and became a household word after D.V. Grigorovich wrote his sad story "Gutta-percha boy."
This is a tragic story about a circus boy, about whom it was said that he had no bones, he was so flexible and dexterous. From now on, people who are called gutta-percha are athletes with a good stretch. It is achieved through lengthy training. A gutta-percha woman is a gymnast who can do incredible things with her body.
Gutta-percha gait
What does gutta-percha mean? This word is now quite fashionable and on youth slang means flexible, beautiful, graceful. If you recall the words from the song of the singer Bianchi - "Guta percha gait we go to the" Iarfor "(night club) ..."
Here I mean not so much elastic and flexible as soft, swaying and graceful. You can sometimes hear about a person that he or she is so gutta-percha. It can mean flexible and sexy. Despite the fact that in the past this term was associated with rubber and gymnasts, now it is also a synonym for sexuality.
Incredible flexibility
Gutta-percha are surprisingly flexible, plastic, with the ability to bend in different directions, without compromising their own health. This can often be seen in the circus. Such numbers are performed by gutta-percha people, gymnasts and acrobats with increased body flexibility, stunning the audience with their incredible plasticity.