Butadiene, synthetic chemical compound, used principally in the manufacture of synthetic rubber, nylon, and latex paints.
Most commercial butadiene is made by dehydrogenation of butene, formula C 4H8, or of mixtures of butene and butane; it may also be made from ethanol. Because butadiene has high reactivity, it is useful in synthesis, particularly in polymerization reactions. A large percentage of automobile tires are made from Buna rubber, a copolymer of butadiene and styrene.
Butadiene is a colorless, gaseous hydrocarbon with the formula C4H6. It is liquefied by cooling to -4.4° C (24.1° F) or by compression to 2.8 atmospheres at 25° C (77° F).