Butadiene, also known as 1,3-butadiene, is a colorless gas with the chemical formula C₄H₆, featuring two carbon–carbon double bonds that give it unique reactive properties. First identified in 1863 by French chemist E. Caventou, this simple hydrocarbon became one of the most important monomers in the synthetic rubber industry, particularly during World War II when natural rubber supplies were cut off. With a mild aromatic or gasoline-like odor, butadiene is produced primarily as a byproduct of ethylene manufacturing through steam cracking of petroleum feedstocks. Today, over 95% of butadiene production goes into making synthetic rubbers like styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) for tires and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) plastics, though its classification as a known human carcinogen has led to strict workplace exposure limits and handling requirements.

Find a review of the 50 most important industrial gases here.

20 Fun Facts About Butadiene

Beyond the basics above, what else should we know about Butadiene? Check out the 20 fun facts below!

1. Butadiene polymerizes so readily that commercial supplies contain inhibitors like tert-butylcatechol to prevent spontaneous rubber formation in storage tanks.
2. The molecule can exist in two shapes – “s-trans” and “s-cis” – that rapidly interconvert 10¹¹ times per second at room temperature.
3. During WWII, the U.S. built 51 synthetic rubber plants in just two years, consuming 700,000 tons of butadiene annually by 1945.
4. Butadiene liquefies at -4.4°C (24°F), making it one of the few industrial gases that can be liquid on a cold winter day.
5. The compound is naturally produced by some plants and fungi, with termites generating measurable amounts during wood digestion.
6. Soviet chemist Sergei Lebedev developed the first commercial butadiene-based synthetic rubber in 1910, made from potatoes and ethanol.
7. Pure butadiene can form explosive peroxides when exposed to air and light, similar to diethyl ether but even more hazardous.
8. The gas is 1.9 times heavier than air and has been responsible for several industrial accidents when it accumulated in confined spaces.
9. Butadiene prices fluctuate wildly – ranging from $300 to over $2,000 per metric ton – making rubber manufacturing economics challenging.
10. NASCAR race car tires contain about 40% butadiene-based rubber, providing the grip needed at speeds over 200 mph.
11. The compound absorbs UV light at 217 nanometers so strongly it’s used to calibrate spectrophotometers in chemistry labs.
12. Cigarette smoke contains 20-40 micrograms of butadiene per cigarette, contributing significantly to smoking-related cancer risks.
13. Butadiene can be produced from renewable ethanol, with several bio-based plants operating in Brazil using sugarcane feedstock.
14. The molecule’s two double bonds are exactly 1.34 Angstroms long, while the single bond between them is 1.48 Angstroms.
15. Industrial workers called butadiene “the invisible killer” in the 1940s because its sweet smell disappears at dangerous concentrations.
16. Golf ball cores often contain polybutadiene rubber, providing the elastic rebound that drives distance off the tee.
17. Butadiene forms a deep blue complex with sodium metal in liquid ammonia, used in early studies of electron delocalization.
18. The compound is one of the few chemicals that becomes more flammable as pressure decreases, complicating high-altitude storage.
19. Modern catalytic technology can convert butane directly to butadiene with 90% efficiency, revolutionizing production economics.
20. Astronomers have detected butadiene precursors in interstellar space, suggesting complex organic chemistry occurs in molecular clouds.

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