Synthetic Rubber Types
Synthetic rubber is a man-made rubber which is produced in manufacturing plants by
synthesizing it from petroleum and other minerals.
Synthetic rubber is basically a
polymer or an artificial polymer. It has the property of undergoing elastic
stretchability or deformation under stress but can also return to its
previous size without permanent deformation. This page is about different
synthetic rubber types. However, before understanding the types of synthetic
rubber, it is desirable to learn about the kinds of rubber available in
today's world.
Rubber Types- The Types of Rubber
Rubber is a broad term used to
refer to many types of different polymers, simply called the
types of rubber that are all
elastomers. Being elastomers mean they can be stretched out and will return
to their original shape let gone. Natural rubber is the original and the
first kind of rubber to be used by man- it is still used in different forms.
Other than natural rubber, all the other types of rubber are synthetic or
manmade. Some of the examples of such rubber types include Polychloroprene
(generally sold by the trade name Neoprene); Polybutadiene;
Poly(styrene-butadiene-styrene) rubber or SBS rubber; Polyisobutylene;
Silicone among others. All these kinds of rubber made of synthetic polymers
have been discussed in detail later in this page. However, before knowing
about all these synthetic rubber varieties, get to know what is synthetic rubber
and what are its chemical types.
What is Synthetic Rubber?
Rubber in its native form is basically
useless. It is only when certain chemicals are added, the rubber thus
produced is used to make varied rubber products. Synthetic rubber is used as
a substitute for natural rubber in many cases. Depending on the chemicals
added and the properties associated with it, the synthetic rubber can be as
hard as a bowling ball or as resilient as a rubber band or as soft as a
sponge. When improved material properties are required, synthetic rubber is
considered. Approximately 70% of all rubber used today are one from many synthetic rubber varieties.
What are the Chemical Types in Synthetic Rubber?
Synthetic rubber
is artificially made from petrochemical feedstocks. Crude oil is the
principal raw material for different types of rubber in synthetic category.
As opposed to
natural rubber where there is only one
chemical type, there are approximately 20 different chemical types of
synthetic rubber, and within all of the types of rubber, there are different
grades. The different types of rubber, especially the synthetic rubber types
have their own individual properties and advantages. The industry chooses
the rubber types which most clearly meet the demands of an intended use.
Types of Synthetic Rubber
As is clear from the above discussion,
there are about twenty different types of chemicals used for making different
synthetic rubber varities. It is obvious that there are different synthetic rubber
kinds. Some of the popular synthetic rubber types include the following.
What Led to the Development of Synthetic Rubber?
During the World
War II, the United States was cut off from almost all of its sources of
natural rubber in the Pacific. In order to meet the country's needs for this
important material, the government built synthetic rubber plants and the
manufacturing industries operated them. Synthetic rubber production
increased from 8,000 tons in 1941 to 820,000 tons in 1945. After the World
War II, the government sold these synthetic rubber plants to the industries.
After that there is no looking back. There are different types of synthetic
rubber having different properties and manufacturers and suppliers are
producing different range of rubber products which are used for commercial
and industrial purpose. According to a research report, the global demand
for industrial rubber products is estimated to rise to 4.3% annually through
2013 to $97.8 billion. For more information, check out
Rubber Industry Global Overview
How is Synthetic Rubber Produced?
Petrochemical feedstocks are the
main raw material for producing synthetic rubber types. Crude oil is the
principal raw material. Two types of gases too contribute in the producton
of general types of rubbers in the category of synthetic rubber. These are
butadien used for making
Butadiene Rubber and styrene used for
making
Styrene Butadiene Rubber.
Butadiene is a by-product of petroleum refining and styrene is captured
either in the coking process or as a petroleum refining by-product. When
these two gases are mixed in the presence of soapsuds in a reactor, they
result into liquid latex. This is a milky liquid in which the dry rubber is
coagulated into crumbs, washed, dried, and baled ready for shipment. For
more details about synthetic rubber production, check out
Synthetic Rubber
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