ABSTRACT
Ethylene-propylene rubbers or elastomers (referred to as EPDM and EPM) [1-3] are mostly copolymers of ethylene and propylene. EPDM is a terpolymer, and has an additional third comonomer, the diene comonomer, than EPM. EPM and EPDM are among the most popular synthetic rubbers, and have both general purpose and specialty applications. They were introduced commercially in the early 1960s and enjoy steady growth with about 1.9 billion pounds of consumption in 2000 and 2.2 billion pounds in 2005. They are categorized as quasi-commodity thermoplastics along with PMMA, PET, and others mainly due to their relatively low consumption volume and average or below average mechanical properties (Table 11.1). The four major thermoplastics, PE, PP, PVC, and PS occupy the commodity or general purpose category.
