polyisoprene

polyisoprene, polymer of isoprene (C₅H₈) that is the primary chemical constituent of natural rubber, of the naturally occurring resins balata and gutta-percha, and of the synthetic equivalents of these materials. Depending on its molecular structure, polyisoprene can be a resilient, elastic polymer (elastomer), as in the case of natural rubber and isoprene rubber, or a tough, leathery resin, as in the case of natural and synthetic balata or gutta-percha. The chemical structure of isoprene can...