Often the terms Styrene-Butadiene Rubber (SB Rubber) and Styrene-Butadiene Latex (SB Latex) are used interchangeably. However, they are two different materials that are used in different ways on a variety of products. How SB Rubber and SB Latex are alike is that they are both synthetic polymers and they are usually created by a process called emulsion polymerization. They also share the same two components – an organic compound named styrene and an industrial gas called butadiene. Styrene is produced when benzene and ethylene react with each other at room temperature. It’s a colorless oily liquid and it has a sweet odor. While butadiene is a byproduct of the hydrocarbon ethylene and it is a colorless gas that smells faintly like gasoline. Another way that SB Rubber and SB Latex are the same is that they both share several benefits over natural rubber. For example, they are usually less expensive, they are more resistant to abrasions and they age better because they harden over time, whereas natural rubber softens. Another important trait is that there are no allergens in SB Rubber and SB Latex, but there are allergens in natural rubber. In fact, allergies to natural rubber have become a rather big health care problem. The people who are most likely to develop these allergies are people who regularly come into contact with natural rubber, like health care professionals who wear rubber gloves and patients who require a lot of surgery.
Butadiene rubber and latex rubber
While styrene butadiene has been on the market since World War II, polymer chemists have decided to move to a world of coatings and paints. With the production of styrene butadiene latexes, the suppliers succeeded in producing the first ambient and ambient water paints and coatings, during which time these materials were concentrated in superiority over soluble products and oils. The new products smell small, non-toxic and non-flammable and can be easily cleaned with water. Latex and styrene butadiene allowed ambient water-based paints and related coatings to position themselves well against their soluble and focal oil competitors. However, these materials cover a much wider range of colors and have higher stability. Chemists have been able to further improve and adapt emulsion polymerization methods, and finally be able to create new applications with new products in the new market for styrene butadiene latex. Today, the styrene-butadiene latex market has become one of many other markets, such as liquid-impregnated coatings, construction adhesives, and coatings for paper and cardboard in the food packaging industry.
What products is styrene butadiene latex used to produce?
As mentioned before, these latexes have many uses. All formulations containing these latexes are used as coatings in paper products such as magazines, brochures, catalogs and cardboard products to give them high printability and oil and water resistance as well as high luster. Another advantage of latexes is that they are much cheaper than other alternative methods and can even be used to cover the undersides of materials such as taffeta rugs.
What products are used to produce styrene butadiene rubber?
The main use of styrene butadiene tires is in the production of car tires, especially light vehicles. Today, most car manufacturers are trying to produce cars with durability and special performance, which will eventually require tires with appropriate performance characteristics. Styrene butadiene tires have various advantages such as low rotational resistance, high adhesion during braking, low wear and other cases and therefore are a very desirable option for tire production. Cold styrene butadiene is used to make lightweight tires and other mechanical products. This material is not a good choice for producing truck tire yarns or for golf ball elastic yarns. Soluble styrene butadiene is much more expensive than emulsion styrene butadiene and is used to make special products.
Soluble styrene butadiene contains rubbers of varying degrees of styrene and vinyl, both of which increase the glass transition temperature and increase tire control on wet roads. This material is also used in other industries except automotive and tire manufacturing, such as sealants, gaskets, belts or plastic pipes. Styrene butadiene rubber provides the necessary requirements for these products, such as trouble-free processing and, in addition, access to raw materials. Other uses for styrene butadiene rubbers include solid wheels, coated materials, and electrical insulation for wires and cables. Plastic pipes are used for coating and insulation, which prevents the material from being worn. The characteristics of the mentioned rubber that make it a suitable choice are its resistance to destruction and erosion.
