Industrial applications of C4 dienes: Identify the principal industrial use of 1,3-butadiene in large-scale chemical manufacturing.

Introduction / Context:
1,3-Butadiene is a key petrochemical building block. Understanding its dominant application highlights connections between monomer markets and end-use sectors like automotive tires, footwear, hoses, and vibration-damping components.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We consider global bulk usage patterns rather than specialty niche uses.
• Common copolymerization partners include styrene and acrylonitrile.
• Evaluation concerns the largest consumption pathway.

Concept / Approach:
Butadiene’s conjugated diene structure makes it ideal for producing elastomers. The major products are SBR (styrene-butadiene rubber), PBR (polybutadiene rubber), and NBR (acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber). These elastomers dominate tire treads, sidewalls, and impact-modified plastics (e.g., ABS uses butadiene in the rubbery phase).

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Industry reports consistently show SBR and PBR as principal outlets for butadiene, driven by tire production volumes worldwide.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Anti-skimming in paint: Not a primary or large-volume use for butadiene monomer.
• Plasticizer for unsaturated polyester: Plasticizers are different compounds; butadiene is a monomer for elastomers, not a typical plasticizer.
• None of these: Incorrect since the elastomer route is correct.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing butadiene’s role in ABS (impact modifier phase) with plasticization; it is chemically part of a copolymer, not a free plasticizer.

Final Answer:
in the manufacture of synthetic rubber