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gutta-percha |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.06 sec. |
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gutta-percha (gŭt`ə-pûr`chə), natural latex latex, emulsion of a polymer (e.g., rubber ) in water (see colloid ). Natural latexes are produced by a number of plants, are usually white in color, and often contain, in addition to rubber, various gums, oils, and waxes. ..... Click the link for more information. obtained from Palaquium gutta and several other evergreen trees of East Asia. The latex, collected by felling or girdling the tree, is allowed to coagulate and is then washed, purified, and molded into bricks for shipping. Like caoutchouc caoutchouc (kou`ch ..... Click the link for more information. , gutta-percha is a polyterpene, i.e., a polymer of isoprene (see rubber rubber, any solid substance that upon vulcanization becomes elastic; the term includes natural rubber ( caoutchouc ) and synthetic rubber. The term elastomer ..... Click the link for more information. ), but, unlike caoutchouc, it is not very elastic; the reason for the difference is that the polymer molecules in gutta-percha have a trans structure, whereas those of caoutchouc have a cis structure (see isomer isomer (ī`səmər), in chemistry, one of two or more compounds having the same molecular formula but different structures ..... Click the link for more information. ). Gutta-percha is an excellent nonconductor and is often employed in insulating marine and underground cables. It is also used for golf-ball coverings, surgical appliances, and adhesives. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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? Mentioned in | ? References in classic literature | |
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We were rivals, but I desire to treat her with scrupulous fairness, and I admit that she had one good thing, to wit, her gutta-percha tooth. Maston, scratching with his steel hook his gutta-percha cranium. Forgetting on the one hand that his right arm had been replaced by an iron hook, and on the other that a simple gutta-percha cap covered his brain-box, he had given himself a formidable blow. |
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gutta-percha
