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Synthetic Rubber
Synthetic rubber is an artificial elastomer produced mainly from hydrocarbons. It can be worked and vulcanized in similar ways as natural rubber.
Features
Synthetic rubbers aims to emulate some of the features of natural rubber and compensate for some of its limitations. Depending on the grade, synthetic rubbers may be: resistant to oil, to specific chemicals, to oxygen, to ozone and extreme weather conditions. Their features can be manufactured according to the final requirement, by applying a range of polymer chemistry techniques.
Production
Monomers (Isoprene, Butadiene, Styrene, etc.) are produced from gases deriving from oil refining. Most synthetic rubbers are obtained through polymerization of monomers. These are mainly marketed as bales, tablets and blocks, but they are also available in the form of powdered rubber, talc-coated pellets, granules and latex concentrates in liquid form.
Eneos Materials Chiba plant, Japan
Since 2022, Elastomers Division of our historical partner JSR Corp. is part of ENEOS Group, changing name into Eneos Materials Corp.
As we’ve been doing for the last 50 years, we continue to sell and distribute products of Eneos Materials, internationally recognized as the manufacturer of synthetic rubber with the highest production standards and the best research and development of special rubbers.
Grades
RB®
Syndiotactic 1,2-Polybutadiene
Dynaron®
Hydrogenated Polymer
NBR
Nitrile Rubber
S-SBR
Solution polymerization Styrene-Butadiene Rubber
SIS
Styrene Isoprene Thermoplastic Elastomer
AT®
Syndiotactic 1,2-Polybutadiene
RB®
Syndiotactic 1,2-Polybutadiene
RB is developed exclusively by Eneos Materials. It’s mainly used for the production of thermoplastic compounds, and can be used also as vulcanized rubber.
Its low molecular weight, low crystallinity and low melting point make it suitable for processing by most polymer processing machines.
Grades
RB810
RB820
RB830
RB840
DYNARON®
Hydrogenated Polymer
Dynaron is a hydrogenated polymer with a unique molecular structure. Developed with Eneos Materials’ own polymer synthesis technology, is used as a modifier to increase the softness and transparency of polypropylene.
NBR
Nitrile Rubber
Eneos Materials NBR is a synthetic rubber combining high resistance to: oils, abrasion and heat. It is used in a wide range of applications in the automotive industry.
S-SBR
Solution polymerization Styrene-Butadiene Rubber
Eneos Materials S-SBR styrene butadiene shows good processability and dynamic properties. It’s mainly used in the production of high performance tires.
SIS
Styrene Isoprene Thermoplastic Elastomer
This rubber is used in the production of adhesives, especially suitable in the medical field.
AT®
Syndiotactic 1,2-Polybutadiene
Shares the same characteristics with Eneos Materials RB, but with special technical properties and compatibility with other polymers that make it ideal for use in the tire sector.
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History
The history of synthetic rubber is closely linked to that of natural rubber. Researches have been carried out mainly by those countries that, due to the lack of colonies, were subjected to the management policies of the colonialist countries. There have been many attempts during the nineteenth century but it was only at the beginning of the twentieth century in Germany that the first synthetic rubbers able to match some characteristics of natural rubber were patented. During WWII thanks to the U.S. Synthetic Rubber Program hundreds of patents were developed.
1
1860
Charles Williams isolates isoprene from raw Natural Rubber.
2
1882
William Augusts Tilden first obtains isoprene from turpentine (vegetable resin).
3
1909
Fritz Hoffmann polymerizes methyl isoprene.
4
1910
Sergei Lebedev produces butadiene.
5
1931
Neoprene is patented.
6
1935
In Germany the Buna-S and Buna-N rubber are produced. Today their names are SBR and NBR.
7
1939-53
The US government organizes and finances the U.S. Synthetic Rubber Program.
Anecdote
The U.S. Synthetic Rubber Program was a strategic initiative undertaken by the US government with the aim of developing synthetic rubbers to overcome the cut of natural rubber imports at the beginning of the Second World War. Rubber and tire companies, university research institutes and government laboratories were involved and funded to collaborate in this project, which led to the development of over 800 patents, that were made public only after the end of the war.
