Synthetic rubber, invariably a polymer, is any type of artificial elastomer mainly synthesised from petroleum byproducts. An elastomer is a material with the mechanical (or material) property that it can undergo much more elastic deformation under stress than most materials and still return to its previous size without permanent deformation. About 15 billion kilograms of rubbers are produced annually, and of that amount two thirds is synthetic.
Table of common synthetic rubbers
| ISO 1629 Code | Technical Name | Common Names |
|---|---|---|
| ACM | Polyacrylate Rubber | |
| AEM | Ethylene-acrylate Rubber | |
| AU | Polyester Urethane | |
| BIIR | Bromo Isobutylene Isoprene | Bromobutyl |
| BR | Polybutadiene | Buna CB |
| CIIR | Chloro Isobutylene Isoprene | Chlorobutyl, Butyl |
| CR | Polychloroprene | Chloroprene, Neoprene |
| CSM | Chlorosulphonated Polyethylene | Hypalon |
| ECO | Epichlorohydrin | ECO, Epichlorohydrin, Epichlore, Epichloridrine, Herclor, Hydrin |
| EP | Ethylene Propylene | |
| EPDM | Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer | EPDM, Nordel |
| EU | Polyether Urethane | |
| FFKM | Perfluorocarbon Rubber | |
| FKM | Fluoronated Hydrocarbon | Viton, Kalrez, Fluorel, Chemraz |
| FMQ | Fluoro Silicone | FMQ, Silicone Rubber |
| FPM | Fluorocarbon Rubber | |
| HNBR | Hydrogenated Nitrile Butadiene | HNBR |
| IR | Polyisoprene | (Synthetic) Natural Rubber |
| IIR | Isobutylene Isoprene Butyl | Butyl |
| NBR | Acrylonitrile Butadiene | NBR, Nitrile rubber, Perbunan, Buna-N |
| PU | Polyurethane | PU, Polyurethane |
| SBR | Styrene Butadiene | SBR, Buna-S, GRS, Buna VSL, Buna SE |
| SEBS | Styrene Ethylene Butylene Styrene Copolymer | SEBS Rubber |
| SI | Polysiloxane | Silicone Rubber |
| VMQ | Vinyl Methyl Silicone | Silicone Rubber |
| XNBR | Acrylonitrile Butadiene Carboxy Monomer | XNBR, Carboxylated Nitrile |
| XSBR | Styrene Butadiene Carboxy Monomer | |
| YBPO | Thermoplastic Polyether-ester | |
| YSBR | Styrene Butadiene Block Copolymer | |
| YXSBR | Styrene Butadiene Carboxy Block Copolymer |
Synthetic rubber is made by the polymerization of a variety of petroleum-based precursors called monomers. The most prevalent synthetic rubbers are styrene-butadiene rubbers (SBR) derived from the copolymerization of styrene and 1,3-butadiene. Other synthetic rubbers are prepared from isoprene (2-methyl-1,3-butadiene), chloroprene (2-chloro-1,3-butadiene), and isobutylene (methylpropene) with a small percentage of isoprene for cross-linking.