# Polybutadiene rubber

Butadiene rubber (BR), the second-largest synthetic rubber, used in tyre sidewalls and treads and as the toughener in high-impact polystyrene and ABS.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/

Pseudo-commodities · Rubbers & elastomers · No. 58

- Single chemical
- Feedstock: Oil, gas or coal
- about 3.7 Mt a year (2025, derived: 25% of about 15 Mt butadiene, at about 1.02 t butadiene per t BR)
- 2.2 t CO₂e per t
- HS 400220
 Pseudo-commodities · Rubbers & elastomers · Foundation · Matter

Premium tyre rubber needs a rare-earth catalyst, linking your car's tyres to China's neodymium supply.

Chart: Illustration: Polybutadiene rubber

##### Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Butadiene is polymerised alone in solvent. The catalyst sets the result: neodymium gives high-cis tyre rubber, lithium gives low-cis rubber for toughening plastics.

##### Three things to know

1. Polybutadiene takes about a quarter of world butadiene, roughly 3.7 Mt of rubber a year.
2. Neodymium catalysts give over 97% cis chains, the best grade for tyre wear and rolling resistance.
3. Butadiene in China fell 42% between January and November 2025, to CNY 7,021 a tonne, dragging BR prices down.

##### The journey

1. 1 **Butadiene**About 1.02 t per tonne BR
2. 2 **Solution reactor**Hexane with neodymium, nickel or lithium
3. 3 **Stripping**Antioxidant added, solvent steam-stripped
4. 4 **Baling**Dried crumb pressed into 35 kg bales
5. 5 **Use**Tyres, or dissolved in styrene for HIPS

##### Go deeper pick a tab to open it in full

## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/links/index.md)