ABSTRACT
High-trans polybutadiene is nonelastomeric and can be made by using a coordination catalyst of Ziegler-Natta type. Catalysts with titanium, vanadium, chromium, rhodium, iridium, and nickel have been reported [1], High-transpolybutadiene resembles balata and gutta-percha [2]. Detailed discussions of the effects of cis/trans/vinyl ratios on the physical properties of polybutadiene can be found in the two excellent articles by Kraus and others [3,4]. Emulsion process, which was the process of choice to produce styrene-butadiene copolymer rubber (SBR) until the development of solution process based on anionic polymerization, can also be utilized to produce polybutadiene rubber. However, due to the lack of control over the polymer properties relative to the anionic process, emulsion process is not favored for the production of polybutadiene rubbers (BR).
