The C4 olefins produce fewer chemicals than either ethylene or propylene.
However, C4 olefins and diolefins are precursors for some significant
big-volume chemicals and polymers such as methyl-ter-butyl ether,
adiponitrile, 1,4-butanediol, and polybutadiene.
Butadiene is not only the most important monomer for synthetic rubber
production, but also a chemical intermediate with a high potential for
producing useful compounds such as sulfolane by reaction with SO2, 1,4-
hutanediol by acetoxylation-hydrogenation, and chloroprene by chlorination-
dehydrochlorination.