Styrene Butadiene is a copolymer of styrene and butadiene. Though SBR’s low strength properties require the addition of reinforcing agents to make the compound stronger, SBR was widely used as the synthetic substitute for natural rubber during World War II. Like natural rubber, SBR is non oil-resistant.
SBR’s use since WWII has sharply declined, though it is still used in automobile tire production and in assorted molded rubber goods. SBR is unsuitable for some applications because the double bond in the polymer backbone invites attack by oxygen, ozone, and UV light.