Styrene-Diene Resins in Rubber Compounding

Early in the investigation of butadiene-styrene copolymers as synthetic rubbers, this laboratory became interested in copolymers containing much more styrene than any of the American or German synthetics. This interest was soon directed to the resinous copolymers obtained when the styrene content is increased beyond the range in which rubberlike properties are observed at room temperature. The exploratory work, therefore, involved preparation and evaluation of butadiene-styrene copolymers containing from 65 to 98 per cent styrene. No description of similar polymers has been found. Konrad and Ludwig claimed the improvement of rubberlike properties of butadiene-styrene copolymers by increasing the styrene content from the normal range to “between about 47.5 and about 70 per cent”. The claims and examples of this patent emphasize the improvement of rubberlike properties, such as tensile, elongation, and rebound, at high temperatures. It is well known in this country, however, that increase in styrene content beyond a certain point, perhaps 50–55 per cent, is accompanied by a loss of overall balance of rubber characteristics. Therefore, the copolymers at the upper end of the range described by Konrad and Ludwig have definite limitations for rubber uses—for example, low rebound, high brittle point, shortness, etc. In the writers' laboratory useful resins have been prepared from dienes and vinyl aryl hydrocarbons in the range 5 to 20 per cent diene and 80 to 95 per cent vinyl aryl hydrocarbon. This paper describes the properties and certain uses of one of these copolymers containing approximately 15 parts of butadiene and 85 parts of styrene. This material possesses a combination of physical and chemical properties which permit its use in several applications where cyclized natural or synthetic rubbers are commonly employed. Cyclized natural rubber has been described by Bruson, Endres, and Thies and Clifford. Cyclized synthetic rubbers were described recently by Endres. One product of this type is made from a special synthetic rubber. The new 15 butadiene—85 styrene copolymer is now identified as Pliolite S-3, since it may be used in many Pliolite applications, often with distinct advantages over either the natural or synthetic rubber derivatives.