As one of the most versatile copolymer rubber compounds in the world today, styrene-butadiene rubber is used in a number of different applications around the world. Here are some facts about the development of styrene-butadiene rubber and some of the products that are created with this strong and reliable synthetic rubber.

Styrene-butadiene rubber, or E-SBR as it is known in manufacturing circles, was first developed in the 1930’s. Known as Buna S, the compound was prepared by I.G. Farbenindustrie in Germany. The process for creating styrene-butadiene rubber was through an emulsion procedure that used polymerization as the means of producing a material that had a low reaction viscosity, yet had all the attributes of natural rubber.

One of the other advantages was that the production of SBR was very cost-effective. The synthetic rubber was used to stretch dwindling natural rubber resources, especially in the area of the manufacture of tires, which at the time were still solid rubber. Other countries began to duplicate the efforts and by the dawn of the new decade, many developed nations were in the business of creating SBR for use in a number of products.

The United States stepped up the production of styrene-butadiene rubber during World War II, as a means of augmenting the sacrifice drives to stockpile rubber for the war effort. Much of the production was done in plants owned by the government, and many of the products manufactured went directly to the armed forces that were fighting overseas. It was also during this time that a cold polymerized blend of styrene and butadiene was created that produced superior to the older hot polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber that had been produced in years past. After the end of the war, the government began to sell off the SBR plants to private industry. By 1955, the production of styrene-butadiene rubber had passed completely from the hands of the US government and into the hands of many of the leading manufacturers around the country.

Styrene-butadiene rubber turns up in a number of products, some of them predictable and others that may come as a surprise. SBR is used today for auto tires, including light truck tires. Many companies that retread old tires will use a styrene-butadiene rubber coating to produce the retreads as well. Among the other obvious uses are belts and hoses for machinery and engines, gaskets, and break and clutch pads for vehicles. Around the home, styrene-butadiene rubber is found in children’s toys, caulking compounds, sponges, and floor tiles. Among some of the less expected uses of styrene-butadiene rubber is the production of sanitary products, surgical gloves and even chewing gum.

Many of the modern devices we use daily would not work properly without the presence of some component made of styrene-butadiene rubber. A quick glance around the home and the automobile will demonstrate that SBR is a big part of all our lives.