USES

Polystyrene is widely used in plastics and is made by chemical companies out of petroleum. This petroleum product is a very hard, clear plastic that can be molded into a variety of products. It can also take on a variety of colors making it very popular to packaging plants. Contrary to popular belief, certain types of polystyrene can be recycled, but none of them are biodegradable. Polystyrene products can become a pollution problem when people choose not to recycle. Aggressive enforcement of recycling polystyrene materials would greatly reduce waste and pollution. Polystyrene is usually produced three ways: extruded polystyrene, extruded polystyrene foam, and expanded polystyrene foam.

Extruded polystyrene is an economical plastic that is desired for it’s inflexible features and is found in products likes compact disk cases and plastic cutlery. Polystyrene foam is a good insulation material and may be used in buildings and houses for its thermal properties. Extruded polystyrene foam is commonly referred to by its trademarked name, “Styrofoam” and is closely associated with cups and crafts or model building. Extruded polystyrene is made using chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs, which has been attributed to harming the ozone layer. There have been significant efforts to reduce the use of CFCs by developed countries and because of these efforts its use has been on the decline in the recent number of years.

Expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) is a popular packing material (commonly referred to as packing “peanuts”). It is also used as a molded plastic packing material used in the shipment of fragile items and in the US as a home finishing product known as “beadboard.” It can be used in structural elements by building contractors when constructing roofs and walls. Unlike, extruded polystyrene foam, expanded polystyrene foam contains no CFCs making it a well sought-after plastic material for earth friendly enthusiasts.

Expanded polystyrene is a growing “green product” because it requires less energy to produce it than standard paper products. When proper recycling methods are enforced, it is environmentally sustainable element. It often being regarded as a type of “eco foam” when environmentally friendly building requirements are desired.

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is an insulating material that can be expanded or molded to produce coarse cells containing air. It’s a material that is quickly gaining prominence in the construction industry because it’s lightweight and easy to maneuver without large equipment.

Expanded polystyrene was made out of its parent form: polystyrene. Polystyrene and its origin can be traced back to 1839 to Eduard Simon. Simon was a pharmacist who distilled an oily substance from a Turkish sweetgum tree, which he named styrol. About one hundred years passed, and various scientists conducted numerous experiments, before German chemist Hermann Staudinger discovered that heating styrol starts a reaction and produces macromolecules. These macromolecules create the substance that we now know as polystyrene. Expanded polystyrene should not be confused with its counterpart: extruded polystyrene (known by its trade name as Styrofoam).

Extruded polystyrene is made with CFCs that have been linked to ozone depletion. Expanded polystyrene is not made with CFCs. Instead it is made with a chemical known as pentane. While EPS is not biodegradable, it can be recycled and in the United States its recycle number is six. Due to its recyclability, EPS foam has been growing in prominence with “green” engineering and sustainable construction practices. In fact, EPS foam is sometimes marketed as an, “eco foam,” and is frequently labeled as “earth friendly.” There have also been numerous reports that EPS reduces global warming because it’s production, processing, and transportation uses less energy than its competing foam fill alternatives.

Expanded polystyrene may be used in packaging plants or be found on construction sites as geofoam: a lightweight fill used in roadway construction and in non-load bearing structures as a thermal insulator. Strict control should be used when using EPS foam as an insulator especially in buildings or homes located near wooded areas. If the EPS foam is not properly covered per the manufacturers instruction, it may be a breeding ground for termite or insects. However, this is not the case with EPS foam’s use in highway projects. There is no evidence that EPS foam like geofoam has any instances of harvesting insects when used in highway projects.