The first heating causes thermoset materials to set (similar to a 2-part epoxy) resulting in a chemical change that cannot be reversed. Thermoset plastics, by contrast, will not reliquify once they are “set” in solid form.īy contrast, thermoset plastics can only be heated once (typically during the injection molding process). Instead of burning, thermoplastics liquefy, which allows them to be easily injection molded and then subsequently recycled. A major useful attribute about thermoplastics is that they can be heated to their melting point, cooled, and reheated again without significant degradation. Thermoplastic materials become fully liquid at their melting point (210-249 degrees Celsius in the case of Polystyrene), but they begin to flow at their glass transition point (100 degress Celsius for PS). The name has to do with the way the plastic responds to heat. Depending on the type of PS it could be classified as a “thermoplastic” or a “thermoset” material. Polystyrene is typically (but not always) a homopolymer meaning that it is composed only of the monomer styrene in combination with itself. Now that we know what it is used for, let’s examine some of the key properties of Polystyrene. What are the Characteristics of Polystyrene? Styrofoam is also used for “to-go” containers and disposable tableware from many restaurants. Similarly, you’re probably familiar with styrofoam packing “peanuts” used as filler for miscellaneous small items being shipped. You have probably unpacked a custom styrofoam housing if you’ve ever bought a new television, or a significant piece of new equipment like a Miter saw. The foam form of polystyrene is used most often as a packing material. The solid plastic form of polystyrene is commonly used in medical device applications like test tubes or petri dishes, or in day-to-day items like the housing on your smoke detectors, the case you used to buy your CDs in, and frequently as a container for foods like yogurt or the red “solo” cup you drink from at a tailgate and/or when you’re losing in a game of beer-pong. The material is somewhat controversial amongst environmental groups because it is slow to biodegrade and is increasingly present as outdoor litter (particularly in the form of foam floating in waterways and the ocean). Dow Chemical Company invented a proprietary process to make their trademarked and well-known polystyrene foam product “styrofoam” in 1941. PS plastic is commonly used in a variety of consumer product applications and is also particularly useful for commercial packaging. Polystyrene (PS) plastic is a naturally transparent thermoplastic that is available as both a typical solid plastic as well in the form of a rigid foam material.
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