Synthetic rubberlike materials

516,776. Synthetic rubber. HABGOOD, B. J., HILL, R., ISAACS, E., MORGAN, L. B., and IMPERIAL CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES, Ltd. July 6, 1938, No. 20061. [Class 2 (iii)] Synthetic rubber is produced by polymerizing in aqueous emulsion mixtures of butadiene or its homologues with an ester or esters of #-2-furylacrylic acid. Suitable esters are methyl, ethyl, other lower alkyl, #-chlorethyl, #-hydroxyethyl, benzyl and phenyl #-2-furyl-acrylates. Cetyl p-dimethylaminobenzoate methosulphate (see Specification 470,346) may be used as emulsifying agent, and electrolytes such as acetic acid with or without sodium acetate and also polymerization catalysts such as organic and inorganic peroxides, and modifying agents such as aliphatic chlorine compounds may be added to the emulsion. Increasing proportions of the ester render the product more resistant to oils but less resilient. Examples describe the polymerization in emulsion of butadiene with the methyl, ethyl, butyl and #-phlorethyl esters of #-2-furyl-acrylic acid respectively.