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Polystyrene. Uses. Packing Insulation Food containers Disposable Cutlery Electronic Casings Toys Piping. How it’s made. Formed from monomers of Styrene Polymerization initiated by heat or catalysts. Structure. Atactic Referred to as “Regular” Polystyrene Syndiotactic
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Uses • Packing • Insulation • Food containers • Disposable Cutlery • Electronic Casings • Toys • Piping
How it’s made • Formed from monomers of Styrene • Polymerization initiated by heat or catalysts
Structure • Atactic • Referred to as “Regular” Polystyrene • Syndiotactic • More highly ordered structure gives this form a higher melting point • Isotactic • Not produced commercially
Properties • Pure Polystyrene is a colorless, hard, brittle plastic • Polystyrene is a Thermoplastic • Melts to liquid when heated • Freezes to brittle glassy state when cooled • This property allows for PS to be molded and extruded
Types of Polystyrene • Solid Foam • Expanded Polystyrene • Extruded Foam • Styrofoam • Copolymers • High Impact Polystyrene
Solid Foam • Also called expanded polystyrene (EPS) • Most commonly used form of PS • Produced by mixing PS with gaseous blowing agent (CO2) • Used for • Disposable coffee cups • Packaging • Insulation
Extruded Foam • Known commercially as “Styrofoam” • Produced by PS pellets being fed through an extruder with additives and a blowing agent • Higher structural strength than solid foam • Used for • Building construction (insulator) • Foam plates and trays • “Clam shells”
Copolymers • High impact Polystyrene (HIPS) • PS mixed with polybutadiene rubber • Mixing gives PS more flexibility • Two phase polymer- “graft polymer” • Used for • Toys • Product castings