Loaʻa nui nā ʻāpana laholio kūlohelohe mai ka latex o ka lāʻau Hevea brasiliensis, kahi ʻōiwi no Brazil akā i kēia manawa ua mahi nui ʻia ma nā ʻāina ʻo Asia Hikina Hema e like me Malaysia a me Indonesia. Ke ʻoki ʻia ka ʻili o ka lāʻau, puka mai ka latex, kahi wai keʻokeʻo waiū. Loaʻa i kēia latex ma kahi o hoʻokahi hapakolu o ka wai a me hoʻokahi hapakolu o nā ʻāpana laholio i loko o kahi hoʻokuʻu colloidal. Hoʻokumu ʻia kēia mau ʻāpana i loko o nā cell hana latex kūikawā i kapa ʻia ʻo laticifers. ʻO ka laholio i loko o ka latex he polymer o isoprene, me ke ʻano kemika (C₅H₈)ₙ. Ma hope o ka hōʻiliʻili ʻana, hana ʻia ka latex e hoʻokaʻawale a hoʻomaʻemaʻe i nā ʻāpana laholio.

ʻO nā ʻāpana laholio synthetic, ma ka ʻaoʻao ʻē aʻe, he hana kanaka ia i loko o nā hale hana kemika. ʻO nā petrochemicals ke kumu hoʻomaka. No ka laʻana, hana ʻia ka neoprene (polychloroprene) ma ka hoʻohui ʻana i ka acetylene a me ka hydrochloric acid. ʻO ka emulsion styrene - butadiene rubber (E - SBR), i hoʻohana nui ʻia i nā kaila kaʻa, he ʻano synthetic ʻē aʻe. Pili ke kaʻina hana i nā hopena polymerization ma lalo o nā kūlana kikoʻī e hana i nā polymers me nā waiwai like me ka laholio, a laila hana ʻia i loko o nā ʻāpana.

Ma waho aʻe o nā kumu rapa puʻupaʻa, ʻo ka rapa hana hou kekahi kumu nui no nā ʻāpana rapa. Hōʻiliʻili ʻia nā mea ʻōpala e like me nā kaila i hoʻohana ʻia, nā kapuaʻi rapa, a me nā huahana rapa ʻē aʻe. Hoʻowali ʻia, wili ʻia, a hana ʻia e loaʻa nā ʻāpana rapa.