“Butyl rubber (IIR) is the copolymer of isobutylene and a small amount of isoprene. First commercialized in 1943″ and is more durable than natural rubber.”The primary attributes of butyl rubber are excellent impermeability/air retention and good flex properties, resulting from low levels of unsaturation between long polyisobutylene segments. Tire innertubes were the first major use of butyl rubber, and this continues to be a significant market today.
The development of halogenated butyl rubber (halobutyl) in the 1950’s and 1960’s greatly extended the usefulness of butyl by providing much higher curing rates and enabling co- vulcanization with general purpose rubbers such as natural rubber and styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR).
In addition to tire applications, butyl and halobutyl rubbers’ good impermeability, weathering resistance, ozone resistance, vibration dampening, and stability make them good materials for pharmaceutical stoppers, construction sealants, hoses, and mechanical goods.” Via iisrp.com & ehow.com
