Britannica Sources used in this answer

How is butadiene used to make synthetic elastomers?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Know how researchers created a synthetic material, elastomers, that can change color and texture to specific voltage change, like that of cephalopods — elastomer Learn about elastomers that are changeable in colour and texture, much like the skin of octopuses and other cephalopods. In the elastomers, these changes take place under electrical stimulation.

Butadiene is a fundamental building block in the production of synthetic elastomers, primarily through polymerization processes. It is used in two main ways:

Homopolymerization: Butadiene molecules are linked together to form polybutadiene. This process typically occurs in hydrocarbon solvents using anionic or Ziegler-Natta catalysts. The resulting rubber is highly resilient and resistant to abrasion, making it ideal for tire treads.1
Copolymerization: Butadiene is frequently combined with other monomers to create versatile synthetic rubbers. The most prominent example is styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), where butadiene is copolymerized with styrene in an emulsion process. This is often achieved using free-radical initiators in a water solution. Additionally, butadiene is reacted with styrene and acrylonitrile to produce high-performance plastics.21

In these processes, the reactive nature of butadiene’s conjugated double bonds allows it to form long, elastic polymer chains that provide the strength and flexibility required for industrial applications like tires, footwear, and cable insulation.13