Synthetic Rubber

Synthetic rubber can be made from the polymerization of a wide range of monomers including isoprene (2-methyl-1,3-butadiene), 1,3-butadiene, chloroprene (2-chloro-1,3-butadiene), and isobutylene (methylpropene) with a small percentage of isoprene for cross-linking.

Natural rubber comes from latex, at most, polymerized isoprene with a small percentage of impurities, which limits its range of available properties. There are also limitations on the proportions of cis and trans double bonds resulted from the polymerization methods of natural latex, which also limits the available properties of natural rubber, although the addition of sulfur and vulcanization are used to improve them.

These and other monomers can be mixed in various ratios for a desirable copolymerization for a wide range of physical, mechanical and chemical properties. The monomers can be produced pure and the addition of impurities or additives can be controlled to optimize their properties. The polymerization of pure monomers can be better controlled to give a desired ratio of cis and trans double bonds.