by 
The Curious Bag
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Although Stephen Perry is credited with inventing the rubber band in 1845, rubber bands really have a much longer history, dating back to the ancient Mayans of South America. The formulation of ingredients in rubber bands has changed several times over their evolution, and today formulations vary according to what the rubber band will be used for.
Origins
The ancient Mayans collected the sap from the rubber tree and mixed it with the juice of morning glory vines to make an early form of rubber band that they used in making tools.
Early Formulation
In 1839, Charles Goodyear invented "vulcanization," in which lead and sulfur were added to natural latex (the substance between layers of bark on a rubber tree). The first rubber band, as we know it, was made of vulcanized rubber.
Modern Process
Today, rubber bands are made of natural latex and "fillers" such as, calcium carbonate, carbon black and clay. Then additives such as sulfur, stearic acid, zinc oxide, wax and oil make up the remaining formulation.
Other Formulations
"Latex free" rubber bands are made of a synthetic rubber containing butadiene and styrene (byproducts of the petroleum refining process).
Fun Fact
Neil Armstrong, the first man to land on the moon, used rubber bands to secure his equipment on his lunar landing.
Source:
Versteegde.nt: The History of Elastic and Rubber Bands
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