Butadiene
. 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 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. It is liquefied by cooling to -4.4° C (24.1° F) or by compression to 2.8 atmospheres at 25° C (77° F).