Polybutadiene is an elastomer – a polymer that exhibits elasticity. Elasticity is the ability to deform under external stress but return to the original form after removal of the stress. Polybutadiene is a synthetic rubber manufactured from the monomer 1,3-butadiene. Polybutadiene exhibits 80% recovery after stress, one of the highest values of a synthetic material. It is commonly used to coat electronic assemblies due to its extremely high electrical resistivity. Polybutadiene displays a high wear resistance, low heat build-up after repeated flexing and a low rolling resistance, making it suitable for applications such as tires. It is often used in combination with other materials to produce rubber blends with differing properties. The 390-MDS offers triple detection GPC by employing a light scattering detector and a viscometer in combination with a differential refractive index detector, to determine accurate molecular weights for polymers for which narrow standards are not available, such as polybutadiene.