Synthetic Rubber

Synthetic Rubber is a man-made rubber produced in manufacturing plants by synthesizing it from petroleum and other minerals. Synthetic rubber is an artificial polymer. It has the properties of undergoing elastic stretchability or deformation under stress but can also return to its previous size without permanent deformation.

Though Natural Rubber has been available since time immemorial, Synthetic Rubber has come of use for less than a hundred years. Synthetic rubber plants were built around the world after 1945, primarily in North America, Japan and Europe. In 1960, the use of synthetic rubber was more than that of natural rubber for the first time. Synthetic rubber has maintained this lead since then. As per a report published in 2001, the world makes around 11.5 million tonnes of synthetic rubber each year.

Most synthetic rubbers are obtained by polymerization or poly condensation of unsaturated monomers. There are wide varieties of different synthetic rubbers, reflecting the various different applications and the chemical and mechanical properties they have. Co-polymerization of different monomers leads to the material properties of synthetic rubber to be varied across a wide range.