The Polybutadiene, with the CAS registry number 9003-17-2, is also known as 1,3-Butadiene, polymers. It belongs to the product categories of Polymers; Dienes; Hydrophobic Polymers; Polymer Science. This chemical's molecular formula is (C₄H₆)_x. Its systematic name is called 1,3-Butadiene, homopolymer. Its classification code is TSCA Flag XU [Exempt from reporting under the Inventory Update Rule].

Physical properties of Polybutadiene: it is a highly resilient synthetic rubber. Due to its outstanding resilience, it can be used for the manufacturing of golf balls. Heat buildup is lower in polybutadiene rubber based products subjected to repeated flexing during service. This property leads to its use in the sidewalls of car and truck tires. Low rolling resistance of this rubber also leads to its use in the tread portion of tires; however, relatively poor cold traction and cut growth resistance limits the use to blends with other types of rubber. Polybutadiene may be blended with, and crosslinked with, other types of rubber such as natural rubber styrene-butadiene rubber to optimize properties for tire treads and other applications. Polybutadiene rubber can be used in water seals for dams due to its low water absorption properties. Rubber bullets and road binders can be also produced by polybutadiene rubber.

Preparation of Polybutadiene: it can be formed from many 1,3-butadiene monomers undergoing free radical polymerization to make a much longer polymer chain molecule. See the following reaction diagram for examples of 1,2- and 1,4-addition in a polybutadiene chain.

Polybutadiene is largely used in various parts of automobile tires. Its use in the tread portion of giant truck tires helps to improve the abrasion, i.e. less wearing, and to run the tire comparatively cool, since the internal heat comes out quickly. In the sidewall of truck tires, the use of polybutadiene rubber helps to improve fatigue to failure life due to the continuous flexing during run. As a result, tires will not blow out in extreme service conditions. Polybutadiene rubber may be used in the inner tube of hoses for sandblasting, along with natural rubber. The main idea is to increase resilience. This rubber can also be used in the cover of hoses, mainly pneumatic and water hoses. This rubber can also be used in railway pads, bridge blocks, golf balls, etc. In car tires, polybutadiene rubber can be used with SBR in the tread portion. Polybutadiene rubber can be blended with nitrile rubber for easy processing. However large use may affect oil resistance of nitrile rubber. Polybutadiene is used in the manufacturing of the high-restitution toy SuperBalls. Due to the High Resilience Property, 100% Polybutadiene Rubber based vulcanizate is used as crazy balls - i.e. a ball if dropped from 6th floor of a house will rebound up to 5½ to 6th floor (assuming no air resistance). It is also used as a fuel in combination with an oxidizer in various Solid Rocket Boosters such as Japan's H-IIB launch vehicle. Polybutadiene Rubber is blended with Polystyrene to prepare High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS).