Expanded polystyrene is a good insulator against heat.
Expanded polystyrene is a plastic foam material that has certain desirable properties due to its structure. It is remarkably light and buoyant, and a good insulator against heat and sound. It can be used as a building material or design element and can be molded into various shapes for various household uses.
In most cases, expanded polystyrene foam is white and consists of small interconnected granules. It is made by combining the chemicals ethylene and benzene to form a compound known as styrene. The styrene is then treated with other chemicals that cause the styrene molecules to polymerize or clump together into long chains. This reaction can only continue up to a certain point and then stops. The resulting beads are allowed to cool and then cleaned.
Expanded polystyrene is technically recyclable.
After forming and cleaning, the granules must be expanded, which happens in three main steps. First, the granules are heated with hot air or steam until their density is three percent of its original value. The beads are then cooled for 24 hours and cast. Once inside the mould, they are injected with low pressure steam, which further expands the granules and melts them. When the mold cools, the EPS is finished and ready to use or ship.
Expanded polystyrene differs from a similar product called extruded polystyrene in important ways. Extruded polystyrene is made from chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), considered by many to be harmful to the ozone balance in the earth’s atmosphere. Expanded polystyrene is made without these compounds, which makes it more environmentally friendly. Both products, however, can be recycled like all plastics.
Another important advantage of expanded polystyrene, especially for products such as disposable cups, is that it is very cost-effective. Making Styrofoam requires much less energy than making paper-based alternatives. In addition, it has the potential to generate much less waste than paper. For example, when properly burned, one ton (907 kg) of Styrofoam cups produces only 0.2 oz (5.66 g) of ash, while the same amount of paper produces 200 lbs (90.7 kg) of ash. ash.
It is also noteworthy that polystyrene foam is not biodegradable. Some consider this a disadvantage, but the fact that it is chemically inert makes it a stable fill material that helps provide safe and hygienic recovery to landfills. Despite this, the prevailing trend is to reduce and recycle Styrofoam wherever possible.