Styrene-butadiene rubber or SBR is a general purpose elastomer that is used in the highest volume worldwide. The largest application is in tire treads for good traction and treadwear. Lion Copolymer provides various types of SBR under our COPO® and CARBOMIX ®trade names. These are products made in an emulsion process by cold polymerization. This yields a random structure and the amorphous nature of the polymer gives poor strength in unfilled (gum) compounds but high strength and abrasion resistance with reinforcing fillers.

The COPO® 1500 series products are polymer without oil or filler. CARBOMIX® 1600 series products contain various types of carbon black with little or no oil. COPO® 1700 series products contain oil but no carbon black. CARBOMIX® 1800 series products contain both carbon black and oil.

Lion Copolymer products containing carbon black(Carbomix®) give better black dispersion, improved fatigue life and permit a cleaner operation in our customers’ plants than does the addition of free carbon black during mixing operations. Faster mix cycles may be obtained by oil-extended products compared to the addition of free oil during mixing.

• 1600 Series - Carbon black masterbatch with 14 or less parts of oil per 100 parts of SBR
• 1800 Series - Oil black masterbatches with more than 14 parts of oil per 100 parts of SBR
• 3500 - 3999 Series- Product code assigned to Lion Copolymer by International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers