CHEMICALS FROM BUTADIENE

Butadiene is a diolefinic hydrocarbon with high potential in the chemical industry. In 1955, it was noticed that “the assured future of butadiene (CH₂=CH-CH=CH₂) lies with synthetic rubber . . . the potential of butadiene is in its chemical versatility . . . its low cost, ready availability, and great activity tempt researchers. Butadiene is a colorless gas, insoluble in water but soluble in alcohol. It can be liquefied easily under pressure. This reactive compound polymerizes readily in the presence of free radical initiators.

Butadiene is mainly obtained as a byproduct from the steam cracking of hydrocarbons and from catalytic cracking. These two sources account for over 90% of butadiene demand. The remainder comes from dehydrogenation of n-butane or n-butene streams. The 1998 U.S. production of butadiene was approximately 4 billion pounds, and it was the 36^th highest-volume chemical. Worldwide butadiene capacity was nearly  Butadiene is easily polymerized and copolymerized with other monomers. It reacts by addition to other reagents such as chlorine, hydrocyanic acid, and sulfur dioxide, producing chemicals of great commercial value.