Erasers are stationary tools used to remove pencil marks from paper. They usually have a rubbery texture, sometimes with a grainy outer layer, and come in a range of sizes, shapes, and colors. Erasers are made from either natural or synthetic rubber. Natural rubber is produced from latex that is collected from rubber trees, while synthetic rubber exists in a wide variety of forms, with the most common synthetic rubber derived from the chemicals styrene and butadiene. Synthetic rubber is added with a chemical called an accelerator to help join the monomers, or small molecules, into a polymer. The original accelerator had a pink color, which is why the erasers sold well and the tradition has been maintained. So much so that today, a pink dye is actually used.

Less expensive erasers are made from synthetic rubber and synthetic soy-based gum, but more expensive or specialized erasers are made from vinyl, plastic, or gum-like materials. Vinyl erasers tend to be more gentle on paper than the rubber variety. They are made soft and pliable by adding a plasticizer such as dioctyl phthalate, and to improve abrasion qualities, some calcium carbonate, or chalk, is included.

In the past, erasers were made from natural rubber, which was obtained from latex produced by the rubber tree (Hevea brasilienesis) . However, modern science has led to improvements in eraser technology, and erasers have changed with the times. Polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, may be familiar to people as the “vinyl” of car roofs or old-fashioned long-playing records, but this synthetic polymer can also be formulated into erasers.

In summary, erasers are made of rubber, which can be either natural or synthetic. Synthetic rubber is added with a chemical called an accelerator to help join the monomers, or small molecules, into a polymer. Less expensive erasers are made from synthetic rubber and synthetic soy-based gum, but more expensive or specialized erasers are made from vinyl, plastic, or gum-like materials.