Methyl Rubber, Poly 2,3-dimethylbutadiene

Early attempts at preparations of synthetic rubbers resulted in developments of elastomers from 2,3-dimethylbutadiene. The material, called methyl rubber, was claimed to yield better elastomeric properties than polybutadiene. Methyl rubber was produced in Germany during World War I where the monomer was prepared from acetone. The polymerizations were carried out by free-radical mechanism and anionically, using sodium metal dispersions for initiatimi. Later, it was demonstrated that 2,3-dimethyl polybutadiene can be polymerized to very high cis-, A polymer with Ziegler-Natta catalysts [125, 126]. [Pg.358]

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