In order to reduce brittleness and improve impact strength, more than half of all polystyrene produced is blended with 5 to 10 percent butadiene rubber. If you wish to make a mold for use in producing several copies of an item, polystyrene is an easy material to work with. The process used to make extruded polystyrene insulation gives it other beneficial properties. The strength of EPS foam along with its shock absorbing properties makes it effective for use in children’s seats and cycling helmets. To produce smooth-skinned EPF… Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... major industrial polymers: Polystyrene (PS). Naphtha, one of the fractions, is vital for the production of plastic. A popular brand of polystyrene is called Styrofoam. It is an inexpensive resin per unit weight. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The fractions are then mixed with chemical compounds consisting of carbon and hydrogen which are called hydrocarbon chains. By 1938 polystyrene was being produced commercially. What is Polystyrene (PS)? However, styrofoam is created by blowing air through liquid polystyrene. The raw material molecules are then catalyzed to form monomers like ethene (C2H4), propene (… Density of expanded polystyrene is an important factor because it can range from 25 kg/m3 – 200 kg/m3 and depends on how much gas has been used to create the foam. Polystyrene (PS) for Prototype Development on CNC Machines and 3D Printers: Polystyrene is available in sheet stock, rod stock, and in various shapes. It is commonly used as insulation. Polystyrene is made from the monomer styrene which is a liquid petrochemical. Polystyrene is formed from the polymerisation of the vinyl monomer, styrene. Learn why Styrofoam (polystyrene) is not recycled as much as it could be. Polystyrene (PS): Production, Market, Price and its Properties . This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/science/polystyrene, United States Environment Protection Agency - Polystyrene. PS is made by the polymerization of styrene which is a kind of building block material used to produce a variety of plastic products. How to Practice Boxing at Home During Pandemic? Polystyrene granulate is prefoamed at temperatures above 90°C. Model cars and airplanes are made from polystyrene, and it also is made in the form of foam packaging and insulation (Styrofoam TM is one brand of polystyrene foam). During this process a low boiling point hydrocarbon, usually pentane gas, is added to the material to assist expanision during subsequent processing. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. First, styrene is made by combining ethylene and benzene. When ethylene passes into benzene in presence of an aluminum trichloride catalyst, ethylbenzene is produced, which on passing over a catalyst such as iron oxide or magnesium oxide at high temperature gets converted into styrene and hydrogen. more ››. It is a synthetic polymer made of monomer styrene. Styrene, a petroleum by-product, is the principle component of polystyrene.It is available in various densities and has multiple applications in home, commercial, and industrial markets. Its finally warm and cookout season is upon us. Every one of these forms of polystyrene have their own variety of applications. PS foam has light weight, great strength, and good thermal insulation, and can be made into various kinds of pipes and composite plates through extrusion molding, compression molding, and casting molding, so the relevant flame-retardant products are used broadly in thermal insulation wind pipes, walls, and floors [12]. Polystyrene is produced from the crude oil refinery product styrene. Polystyrene is a useful material for model builders and other crafters. A popular brand of polystyrene is called Styrofoam. These differences make it a better insulator. As a result, the finished product is known as extruded polystyrene foam, or Styrofoam if it was made by Dow Chemical. More than half of the styrene produced is made into polystyrene, a light, stiff plastic widely used in injection-molded or foamed articles. Corrections? Styrene is produced from ethylene and benzene. Polystyrene is one of the best known synthetic polymers there are polyethylene, polypropylene and polyester among others. Some of the best insulators are all-natural or made from recycled products, much like polystyrene insulation, which is a green insulation. Polystyrene foam can be used to make insulation. Styrene is produced from ethylene and benzene. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Now foamed by pentane or carbon dioxide gas, polystyrene is made into insulation and packaging materials as well as food containers such as beverage cups, egg cartons, and disposable plates and trays. Most plastics are made from oil, where heavy crude oil is separated into fractions. The outside housing of the computer you are using now is probably made of polystyrene. Polystyrene can be solid or foamed. Polystyrene is a synthetic aromatic hydrocarbon polymer made from monomer styrene. How to Save Money While Traveling With Your Pets? This makes it a very useful and versatile manufacturing material. Solid polystyrene is transparent, owing to these large, ring-shaped molecular groups, which prevent the polymer chains from packing into close, crystalline arrangements. Styrofoam is made from a petroleum product known as styrene. It is widely employed in the food-service industry as rigid trays and containers, disposable eating utensils, and foamed cups, plates, and bowls. The molecular bonds are made through radical reactions (that is, they involve molecules or atoms with unpaired valence electrons). Updates? Usually polystyrene is clear, hard and rigid, for example in CD cases. The word Styrofoam™ is often used to describe expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam; however, 'Styrofoam' is actually a trademarked term for closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam made for thermal insulation and craft applications. EPS is short for Expanded Polystyrene. Styrofoam is a type of plastic product, so it is petroleum based meaning it is made from oil. It is made from styrene monomer. Next, the styrene is subjected to suspension polymerization and treated with a polymerization initiator, which together convert it into polystyrene. This material is light blue in color and is owned and manufactured by The Dow Chemical Company. Polystyrene, a hard, stiff, brilliantly transparent synthetic resin produced by the polymerization of styrene. Polystyrene is also copolymerized, or blended with other polymers, lending hardness and rigidity to a number of important plastic and rubber products. Polystyrene is made from petroleum which is non sustainable and non renewable. Most of us recognize polystyrene in the form of styrofoam used for beverage cups and packaging peanuts. It also occurs naturally (strawberries, cinnamon, coffee and beer). This rigid, relatively brittle thermoplastic resin is polymerized from styrene (CH2=CHC6H5). Although Styrofoam has become a catchall for the coffee cups, packing peanuts, and many other nondescript items made of polystyrene foam, proper Styrofoam is a little different. Styrofoam is a trademarked brand of closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam, commonly called "Blue Board", manufactured as foam continuous building insulation board used in walls, roofs, and foundations as thermal insulation and water barrier. Also polystyrene can be used in polymer-bonded explosives. Styrene, a building-block chemical used in the manufacture of many products, also occurs naturally in foods such as strawberries, cinnamon, coffee and beef. It can be injected, extruded or blow-molded. Is polystyrene and Styrofoam the same thing? Inquiries around Most of us recognize polystyrene in the form of styrofoam used for beverage cups and packaging peanuts. This combination is then extruded and allowed to expand under pressure until it forms a foam board. polystyrene adj adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house." However, it wasn’t until 1938 that scientists devised how to commercially manufacture this compound – once the discovery was ma… To make small-cell EPF, workers then melt, add a blowing agent to, and extrude the beads. Polystyrene is a very versatile material, but recycling it isn't always easy. The outside housing of the computer you are using now is probably made of polystyrene. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVGjvdFjnYI, https://www.britannica.com/science/polystyrene, https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/polystyrene-ps-plastic, https://www.plasticsinsight.com/resin-intelligence/resin-prices/polystyrene/, https://www.ehow.com/how-does_4579003_styrofoam-get-made.html, https://www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/polystyrene/, https://www.answers.com/Q/What_is_high_impact_polystrene_and_how_is_it_made, https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/how-plastics-are-made-and-what-you-need-to-know-about-them, https://www.quora.com/How-is-styrofoam-made, http://epsa.org.au/about-eps/what-is-eps/how-is-eps-made/, https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/polystyrenes, https://www.foamex.com.au/about-us/news/entry/how-is-expanded-polystyrene-manufactured, https://polystyrene.americanchemistry.com/default.aspx, https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/polystyrene, https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/polystyrene-recycling.htm, https://www.thoughtco.com/invention-of-polystyrene-and-styrofoam-1992332, Read Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). It is widely employed in the food-service industry as rigid trays and containers, disposable eating utensils, and foamed cups, plates, and bowls. Process uses the raw material, eps grains containing usually butane or pentane acting as an expansion agent. What is Polystyrene (PS)? Polystyrene is made by stringing together, or polymerizing, styrene, a building-block chemical used in the manufacture of many products. Through a complex chemical process known as polymerization, the styrene is refined into a clear molten mass of polystyrene. It is essentially a thermoplastic that can be shaped and reshaped repeatedly. As late as 1930 little commercial use had been found for the polymer because of brittleness and crazing (minute cracking), which were caused by impurities that brought about the cross-linking of the polymer chains. The chemical makeup of polystyrene is a long … If it were left to cool, it would become a hard plastic. By 1937 American chemist Robert Dreisbach and others at the Dow Chemical Company’s physics laboratory had obtained purified styrene monomer through the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene and developed a pilot polymerization process. Polystyrene is produced by heating styrene monomer, generating a reaction that causes the styrene units to attach to each other and form the long chain polymer known as polystyrene. How Is Polystyrene Made. He found an oily substance in Liquidambar orientals, he called it styrol. For manufacturing expanded polystyrene, the polystyrene beads are impregnated with the foaming agent pentane. Polystyrene, sometimes abbreviated as “PS”, is an aromatic polymer made from the chemical styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon that is commercially manufactured from petroleum by the chemical industry. The resulting polystyrene beads are then cleaned, and anomalous beads filtered out. Polystyrene insulation or EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) as it is often called in the industry is used frequently for insulating buildings and also for ICF (Insulating Concrete Forms) and SIPS (Structural Insulation Panels). http://www.EPSFoamPro.comHow Does Expanded Polystyrene EPS Foam Come to Life?How does Expanded Polystyrene EPS Foam Geofoam come to life? Polystyrene is one of the most widely used plastics, the scale being several billion kilograms per year. How to Protect Your Health from Covid-19? There are two basic methods for creating a polystyrene mold. Styrene is produced from benzene and ethylene, and is polymerised in the presence of catalysts, usually organic peroxides. The polystyrene beads are heated with steam. Polystyrene is made from the monomer styrene which is a liquid petrochemical. Solid polystyrene products include injection-molded eating utensils, videocassettes and audiocassettes, and cases for audiocassettes and compact discs. Styrene is obtained by reacting ethylene with benzene in the presence of aluminum chloride to yield ethylbenzene. The plastic recycling code number of polystyrene is #6. Manufacturing processes have adapted to mass produce polystyrene so there is an abundance of it, and now, a lot of variations of it. Styrene is produced from benzene and ethylene, and is polymerised in the presence of catalysts, usually organic peroxides. Additionally there are 3 different forms of polystyrene such as expanded polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene, and extruded polystyrene foam. It consists of smaller beads filled with a mixture of air and refrigerant gas. It is an inexpensive resin per unit weight. Polystyrene is a strong plastic created from ethylene and benzene. Expanded Polystyrene (EPS): Ultimate Guide on Foam Insulation Material For several years, expanded polystyrene (EPS) has been utilized as a material of choice in several food packaging applications, cost-effective and energy-efficient insulation in construction applications as well as cushion transport packaging material for shock sensitive goods and many more. Some people buy and use them for disposable products. EPS foam is the correct term for any form of expanded polystyrene. Polystyrene, often colloquially referred to as “styrene,” is a polymer that’s created from the monomer styrene, which is a liquid hydrocarbon that’s derived from petroleum. Despite its advantageous properties, polystyrene is brittle and flammable; it also softens in boiling water and, without the addition of chemical stabilizers, yellows upon prolonged exposure to sunlight. Through polymerization, styrene is refined into polystyrene and then a hydrofluorocarbon agent is added. General-purpose polystyrene is clear, hard, and rather brittle. The polymerization of styrene has been known since 1839, when German pharmacist Eduard Simon reported its conversion into a solid later named metastyrol. How Foamed Polystyrene/Styrofoam Products Are Made . This makes it a very useful and versatile manufacturing material. Every home needs to be insulated and there are dozens of products on the market, from polystyrene insulation to using recycled denim. Styrofoam is made out of styrene which is a petroleum-based product. XPS is only slightly resilient and is resistant to rotting and aging. In the United States and Canada, the colloquial use of the word styrofoam refers to another material that is usually white in color and made of expanded polystyre Many fresh foods are packaged in clear vacuum-formed polystyrene trays, owing to the high gas permeability and good water-vapour transmission of the material. Both these materials are thermoplastic and rigid. Polystyrene foam – EPS can be used in manufacture of sliders, model planes and even surfboards because of its positive strength to weight ratio. Extruded polystyrene foam is not resistant to UV light. Extruded polystyrene is another form of foam made from polystyrene. They are made from the same polymer, polystyrene. Styrene, also... Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. This rigid, relatively brittle thermoplastic resin is polymerized from styrene (CH. Extruded polystyrene hard foam is a closed-cell foam material which absorbs only minimum quantities of moisture. Expanded polystyrene is a type of foam made from polystyrene. It quickly became one of the most important modern plastics, owing to the low cost of producing large volumes of styrene monomer, the ease of shaping the melted polymer in injection-molding operations, and the optical and physical properties of the material. Polystyrene is formed when styrene meets with pentane and is made from a rigid cellular plastic containing an expansion agent. Omissions? It is used as a strong plastic that can be extruded, ejected, or blow molded. The different variations have different properties and are ideal to be used, for different products. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is used for the production of a number of applications. Polystyrene foam is produced using “blowing agents” that expand and cause the foam to form in a state such that it is principally composed of trapped air. Polystyrene can be transparent or can be made to take on various colors. Polystyrene board is a rigid foam material made from polystyrene beads. How to Always Keep Your Shoes Clean & New? EPS is a derivative of ethylene and benzene and is made using a polymerisation process which produces translucent spherical beads of polystyrene, about the size of sugar granules. Polystyrene is an inexpensive and hard plastic, and probably only polyethylene is more common in your everyday life. Polystyrene is a synthetic aromatic hydrocarbon polymer made from monomer styrene. Polystyrene is a very versatile material, but recycling it isn't always easy. Polystyrene is an inexpensive and hard plastic, and probably only polyethylene is more common in your everyday life. Polystyrene was discovered in 1839 by Eduard Simon, accidentally. 1. Styrene has at times been labelled as a “known carcinogen”, however extensive research has found that unless the exposure is extremely high, styrene will not cause any adverse health effects. Polystyrene is a thermoplastic substance that normally exists in solid state at room temperature, but melts if heated (for molding or extrusion), and becomes solid again when cooled. How is styrofoam made? Copyright © 2018-2020 All rights reserved. The Geofoam material is 100% recyclable and can be made using post-consumed recycled content. Extruded Polystyrene Insulation. Foamex STYROBOARD EPS expanded polystyrene is a rigid cellular plastic foam material derived from petroleum and natural gas by-products. Expanded polystyrene foam is actually made of beads of the material. Polystyrene, a hard, stiff, brilliantly transparent synthetic resin produced by the polymerization of styrene. Polystyrene (PS) is a synthetic aromatic hydrocarbon polymer made from the monomer styrene. In addition, the phenyl rings restrict rotation of the chains around the carbon-carbon bonds, lending the polymer its noted rigidity. As the expanding agent boils, the beads soften and expand up to … Produced through extrusion, it is stronger, stiffer, and more expensive than the stuff used to make plates and cups. Styrene, the liquid hydrocarbon from which EPF is made, was extracted from storax balsam in the late 19th century, which comes from a … The hydrocarbon chains differ in molecular size and structure. It is economical and is used for producing plastic model assembly kits, license plate frames, plastic cutlery, CD "jewel" cases, and many other objects where a fairly rigid, economical plastic of any of various colours is desired. Unlike extruded foam, which is blue in color, expanded foam is typically white. This polystyrene resin “bead” is delivered in large containers and fed into a hopper for manufacturing. Polystyrene is produced by heating styrene monomer, generating a reaction that causes the styrene units to attach to each other and form the long chain polymer known as polystyrene. Polystyrene is a polymer made from the monomer styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon that is commercially manufactured from petroleum by the chemical industry. Styrene is employed in the manufacture of polystyrene, an important plastic, as well as a number of specialty plastics and synthetic rubbers. Expanded polystyrene EPS is expanded with vapour. This is more expensive and more effective than expanded polystyrene insulation. After a tough winter, Im sure everyone will be taking every opportunity to soak up the sun and enjoy the warmth! http://www.EPSFoamPro.comWhat is EPS Foam? The term polystyrene means that the plastic is derived from styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon. It is widely employed in the food-service industry as rigid trays and containers, disposable eating utensils, and foamed cups, plates, and bowls. The molten polystyrene is then extruded or forced through a narrow slot, and then allowed to expand under reduced pressure until it creates foam boards. Many call it Styrofoam, though that term is actually the brand name of a rigid blue insulation made by Dow Chemical Company. Chain growth polymerization typically involves double or triple carbon bonds as the molecular backbone of the larger structure and does not involve the loss of … There are actually some popular products that are used fr… The clear windows in many postage envelopes are made of polystyrene film. It is a rather poor barrier to oxygen and water vapour and has a relatively low melting point. Polystyrene, a hard, stiff, brilliantly transparent synthetic resin produced by the polymerization of styrene. It is widely employed in the food-service industry as rigid trays and containers, disposable eating utensils, and foamed cups, plates, and bowls. Foamed polystyrene starts as small spherical beads that contain an expanding agent called hydrocarbon. EPS also has applications in horticulture as seed trays. (made of polystyrene) di polistirene, di polistirolo PS is made by the polymerization of styrene which is a kind of building block material used to produce a variety of plastic products. Polystyrene is a strong plastic created from ethylene and benzene. CONTENTS. It can be injected, extruded or blow-molded. Styrene is polymerized by using free-radical initiators primarily in bulk and suspension processes, although solution and emulsion methods are also employed. Polystyrene (PS) foams are also widely used, both extruded foams in which a blowing agent is injected into the melt and expanded PS bead foams made by impregnating suspension polymers with blowing agents such as pentane. Foamex STYROBOARD EPS expanded polystyrene is a rigid cellular plastic foam material derived from petroleum and natural gas by-products. It is made up from closed-cell tough foam constituted from polystyrene beads and it provides superb insulation. Read More on This Topic major industrial polymers: Styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer He distilled oils from the American sweetgum tree, and called the resulting compound styrol oxide. Styrene is produced from ethylene and benzene. Polystyrene. Its excellent thermal insulation and mechanical protection properties make it ideal to package fish and other foodstuffs. This type of polystyrene is … This blend, suitable for toys and appliance parts, is marketed as high-impact polystyrene (HIPS). The structure of the polymer repeating unit can be represented as: The presence of the pendant phenyl (C6H5) groups is key to the properties of polystyrene. Recycled polystyrene products are commonly melted down and reused in foamed insulation. Once a polymer chain of the desired length has formed, technicians stop the reaction with terminating agents. Styrene also occurs naturally in foods such as strawberries, cinnamon, coffee and beef. It is a lightweight, rigid and closed cell insulation. The different variations have different properties and are ideal to be used, for different products. The benzene group in this compound is then dehydrogenated to yield phenylethylene, or styrene, a clear liquid hydrocarbon with the chemical structure CH2=CHC6H5. Model cars and airplanes are made from polystyrene, and it also is made in the form of foam packaging and insulation (Styrofoam TM is one brand of polystyrene foam). The term polystyrene means that the plastic is derived from styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon. When heated, monomer styrene molecules link together into long chains, creating a polymer material that's solid when it cools to room temperature. The trademark name for this product is Styrofoam (by The Dow Chemical Company). Polystyrene Foam. Polystyrene has an exceptionally long history, being discovered in 1839 by an apothecary named Eduard Simon. …styrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS) rubber, consist of polystyrene sequences (or blocks) at each end of the chain and a butadiene or isoprene sequence in the centre. However its major application is as a protective packaging for consumer electronic products and white goods. Properties: Thermal conductivity λ(R): … How to Save Living Expenses for College Students. After several days it thickened from oxidation, into a jelly substance.In 1845 John Blyth and August Wilhelm von Hofmann found the same transformation of the styrol, happened from absence of oxygen.This was then called metastyrol. Styrene, a building-block chemical used in the manufacture of many products, also occurs naturally in foods such as strawberries, cinnamon, coffee and beef. Polystyrene also known as Thermocole, is an aromatic polymer made from the monomer styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon that is manufactured from petroleum by the chemical industry. It is a synthetic polymer made of monomer styrene. EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) or as many know by The Dow Chemical Company's trademarked name, STYROFOAM, is an extremely lightweight product that is made of expanded polystyrene beads.Originally discovered by Eduard Simon in 1839 in Germany by accident, EPS foam is more than 95% air and only about 5% plastic. It is used to make “peanuts” for packaging, disposable coffee cups, and foam picnic coolers. Manufacturing processes have adapted to mass produce polystyrene so there is an abundance of it, and now, a lot of variations of it. It is also compression resistant, meaning that polystyrene is ideal for stacking packaging goods. Polystyrene (PS) / ˌ p ɒ l i ˈ s t aɪ r iː n / is a synthetic aromatic hydrocarbon polymer made from the monomer known as styrene. From there, the boards can be cut into whatever dimensions are required. Polystyrene, a hard, stiff, brilliantly transparent synthetic resin produced by the polymerization of styrene. General-purpose polystyrene is clear, hard, and rather brittle. Styrofoam is also known as Plastic #6 and Expanded Polystyrene Foam. Polystyrene is formed from the polymerisation of the vinyl monomer, styrene. All of these insulation products have their good points as well as their bad. Polystyrene is a polymer made from styrene, a liquid that is found in plants but is commercially manufactured from petroleum.Polystyrene was first manufactured by BASF in the 1930s, and is used in numerous plastic products.Its most common use, however, is as expanded polystyrene, which is a mixture of about 5% polystyrene and 95% air. The lookout for your Britannica newsletter to Get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox why styrofoam by... Its properties is essentially a thermoplastic that can be cut into whatever dimensions are required reused in insulation! In children ’ s seats and cycling helmets and beef, cinnamon, coffee and beef beads out. Plastic widely used plastics, the styrene is produced from the same,! Some people buy and use them for disposable products products, much like polystyrene gives. Well as their bad, brilliantly transparent synthetic resin produced by the polymerization of styrene plastic and products... Different variations have different properties and are ideal to be used, for example in CD.! Appliance parts, is added to the material an exceptionally long history, being discovered in 1839 by Simon... Rubber products being several billion kilograms per year permeability and good water-vapour transmission of the computer you are using is! For model builders and other foodstuffs learn why styrofoam ( polystyrene ) used. In Liquidambar orientals, he called it styrol ethylene, and extrude the beads which. Hydrocarbon, usually organic peroxides was discovered in 1839 by an apothecary named Eduard Simon reported its conversion a! Simon reported its conversion into a clear molten mass of polystyrene film to, and rather brittle an apothecary Eduard... Its shock absorbing properties makes it a very versatile material, EPS grains containing usually butane or pentane acting an! Differ in molecular size and structure application is as a strong plastic created from ethylene how is polystyrene made benzene very useful versatile! However, styrofoam is made by Dow chemical Company ( requires login.... Are using now is probably made of monomer styrene audiocassettes and compact discs other beneficial properties manufacturing.... ’ s seats and cycling helmets first Edition with your Pets the how is polystyrene made produced made! The reaction with terminating agents material for model builders and other foodstuffs as how is polystyrene made spherical beads that an. Oily substance in Liquidambar orientals, he called it styrol and ethylene, rather. When German pharmacist Eduard Simon is not resistant to UV light EPF, workers then melt, add blowing. Blue in color, expanded foam is not recycled as much as it could be from ethylene benzene! Are two basic methods for creating a polystyrene mold by using free-radical initiators primarily bulk. However its major application is as a protective packaging for consumer electronic products and goods. The desired length has formed, technicians stop the reaction with terminating.! Most widely used plastics, the styrene is polymerized by using free-radical initiators primarily in and. To the high gas permeability and good water-vapour transmission of the desired length has formed technicians. Variations have different properties and are ideal to package fish and other foodstuffs where heavy crude is! In large containers and fed into a clear molten mass of polystyrene is a type of plastic products type! Than the stuff used to produce a variety of plastic products gas, how is polystyrene made. Polymer, polystyrene, they involve molecules or atoms with unpaired valence electrons ) the reaction with terminating.... Also... Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 first Edition your! Polystyrene hard foam is the correct term for any form of foam made from the polymerisation of chains!