Synthetic Rubber
Synthetic rubber is typically the product of natural gas and naphtha which is produced when refining petroleum.
Synthetic rubbers are petroleum based materials. It typically requires 120 to 200 GJ of energy to manufacture one tonne of synthetic rubber product.
A wide variety of synthetic rubber materials have been developed, each designed to impart specific performance characteristics to the product or manufacturing process.
The main types of synthetic rubber and some of their applications are:
SBR Styrene Butadiene Rubber
Tyre tread, footwear, asphalt modifiers, technical goods, adhesives
BR Polybutadiene
Footwear, technical goods, tyres
NBR Nitrile Rubber
Footwear, technical goods
EPDM Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer
Asphalt, technical goods, tyres, automotive sealing strips
IIR Butyl Rubber
Adhesives, technical goods, waterproofing, tyre impervious barrier
CR Polychloroprene Rubber
Asphalt modifiers, technical goods, hoses
VMQ Silicone Rubber
Seals, finger pads, medical applications
FVMQ Fluorosilicone
Automotive, aerospace seals and valves
FKM Fluoropolymers
High temperature, high chemical resistance seals, hoses and surfaces
FFK Perfluoroelastomers
Ultra-high chemical resistance, thermal resistance seals and surfaces