Everyday Chemistry - The invention of modern chewing gum

Inventor Thomas Adams discovered that heating Chicle and mixing it with flavour and sugar produced a new gum. He then realized that this was much better than paraffin based gums.

What made this sap special was that it was very soft. It was softer than rubber used in rubber bands, and got even softer in the warmth of the mouth.

He also discovered that if you froze Chicle, it became hard. These unique properties made it the ideal choice for chewing.

How is it made?

Chewing gum is made by heating gum to 115^oC until it becomes thick syrup. This is filtered, refined and put into a mixing vat. Then, other ingredients like sugar, corn syrup, softeners and preservatives are added. This mixture is then cooled and cut into the final bits of gum, ready to be packed and sent to stores.

It's not just Chicle

If all gum was made out of Chicle, there would not be enough of it left to make more gum. This is why, after the Second World War, Chicle was replaced by synthetic rubbers. Today's gums are made of a mixture of elastomers, resins and waxes. The most common forms of rubbers are polymers like

1. Styrene-butadiene rubber,
2. Polyethylene and
3. Polyvinyl acetate

Can you now answer the questions:

Is chewing gum made by heating gum to 115^oC until it becomes thick syrup?

What are the most common forms of rubbers polymers?