Das elastische Jahrhundert. Synthesekautschuke

Synthetic rubbers help to solve severe problems in rubber‐technology arising from the sensitivity natural rubber shows towards UV‐radiation (e.g. sunlight), heat, and ozone: For this reason more than half of the rubber demand nowadays is satisfied by the chemical industry. However, synthetic rubbers are superior to its natural counterpart not only in regard to their ageing resistance and robustness towards several chemicals: They can easily be adapted to new challenges born by a more and more demanding technology – e.g. using improved concepts in the design of rubber molecule architectures, new catalysts or post‐polymerization altering of the elastomers. These challenges demand for a deep and clear understanding of rubber's chemistry and physics.