G. W. Carver supposedly made many things from sweet potatoes. I'm trying to make latex. Anybody know how?

Question

I've already tried picking dandelions. The latex that you get from them is very limited, but you CAN make a rubber band, or a pencil eraser, if you get enough.

How does one get latex out of a sweet potato? Does it come from the vine or the tuber? How would you extract it? Any other temperate-zone plants with milky sap that dries stretchy, not sticky or gummy or sugary...?

BTW, I've read numerous bios of GWC on line and in libraries. While they all say he turned sweet potatoes into gasoline and rubber, etc., none of them give details. Did he actually succeed, or was he just thinking about it?Are the processes patented? I just want a small scale demo.

Please, serious answers only. Thanks everybody.

I'm sorry, Glenn, that's not helpful Chicle trees don't grow in this climate, and I can't get to where they do. Try to come up with another idea.

Answer 1

The life history and achievements of George Washington Carver have been exaggerated by many admirers, as is the case for many admired historical figures.

Three patents (one for cosmetics, and two for paints and stains) were issued to George Washington Carver in the years 1925 to 1927;

however, they were not commercially successful in the end.

Aside from these patents and some recipes for food, he left no formulas or procedures for making his products.
He did not keep a laboratory notebook.

click on the link and read the account in full--
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington_Carver


Sweet potato is NOT a latex yielding plant so your efforts in that direction might prove futile.

Select some other laticiferous plant .

Answer 2

Actually Carver made many things from peanuts, not sweet potatoes.

Not sure how to make latex, but i think you have come to the right place to ask the question!

Lauren <3

Answer 3

latex can be made from the chicle tree