Styrene-butadiene rubber: Characteristics
How styrene content trades grip for cold flexibility
What this tab covers The physical and chemical properties that set its grade, price and uses, with the commercial grades and the standards that define them.Tyre makers buy SBR by bound styrene, vinyl content, Mooney viscosity, oil content and, for SSBR, functionalisation. These set grip, wear and rolling resistance. Grade numbers follow the IISRP series.
Properties that matter commercially
| Property | Value / specification | Why it matters | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bound styrene | about 23.5% in SBR 1502 and 1712 (indicative) | Higher styrene gives grip, lower gives low-temperature flexibility | IISRP grade conventions (indicative) |
| Mooney viscosity ML1+4 at 100 C | about 45-55 for 1502 (indicative) | Processability in mixers | typical datasheet (indicative) |
| Extender oil | 37.5 phr TDAE in 1712/1723 (indicative) | Cost and processing; PAH limits apply | typical datasheet (indicative) |
| Glass transition temperature | about -50 C for 1502; SSBR -70 to -20 C by design (indicative) | Trade-off between wet grip and rolling resistance | typical (indicative) |
Commercial grades
- ESBR 1502 (clear, non-staining)
- ESBR 1712/1723 (oil-extended, treads)
- ESBR 1500
- high-styrene resins
- SSBR non-functionalised
- functionalised SSBR for silica tyres
- SB latex (paper, carpet)