Polystyrene (solid and foam) is widely used to protect consumer products. 1 Structures Expand this section. The European Commission/European Food Safety Authority and other regulatory agencies have reached similar conclusions. Foam polystyrene also is widely used in child protective seats. Polystyrene foam: used in lightweight protective packaging, foodservice containers, building components, insulation, and more. Polystyrene block form construction is touted as providing homes with even temperatures and fewer drafts. It is a cation-binding exchange resin that inhibits the absorption of potassium from the gastrointestinal tract (along with other cations) Sodium polystyrene sulfonate (Kayexalate) Uses: What Makes Polystyrene Different from Styrene? It also costs less to use polystyrene and being transparent, it is great in terms of appearance that is so critical in retail. General-purpose polystyrene is clear, hard, and rather brittle. Foam polystyrene can be more than 95 percent air and is widely used to make home and appliance insulation, lightweight protective packaging, surfboards, foodservice and food packaging, automobile parts, roadway and roadbank stabilization systems and more. It is a rather poor barrier to oxygen and water vapour and has a relatively low melting point. Another utility is in the manufacturing of smoke detector housing that is used for detecting smoke in case a fire flares up. Polystyrene is a versatile plastic used to make a wide variety of consumer products. Photocopiers with toners containing styrene copolymers. Water soluble resin: Polyethylene Oxide properties and uses What are the properties of Polyethylene Oxide? More than half of the styrene produced is made into polystyrene, a light, stiff plastic widely used in injection-molded or foamed articles. It is widely employed in the food-service industry as rigid trays and containers, disposable eating utensils, and foamed cups, plates, and bowls. Polystyrene (solid and foam) is used to make many car parts, including knobs, instrument panels, trim, energy absorbing door panels and sound dampening foam. CD and DVD cases, foam packaging peanuts for shipping, food packaging, meat/poultry trays and egg cartons typically are made with polystyrene to protect against damage or spoilage. That’s one of the reasons why FDA regulates food packaging in the first place – to be confident that the amount of substances that might actually migrate is safe. EPS insulation material also has applications in horticulture in seedling trays to promote aeration of soil. Use the search box to find information on the chemicals that are essential to the products you use every day. Polystyrene (PS) is a synthetic aromatic hydrocarbon polymer made from the monomer styrene. Polystyrene foodservice packaging generally is more economical – wholesale costs can be up to five times less than paper-based or reusable counterparts (reusable containers require extra equipment, labor, water, electricity, detergent, etc.). Polystyrene resin is used in a wide range of manufacturing processes such as injection molding, sheet and film extrusion, and expanded foam extrusion. It becomes rigid again when it cools down. “Evidence indicates that all blowing agents currently used or proposed in connection with the manufact… Kayexalate (sodium polystyrene sulfonate) powder is used to treat high potassium in the blood. 2005-08-08. It is an inexpensive resin per unit weight. General-purpose polystyrene is clear, hard, and rather brittle. Cumulative exposure to substances that may migrate into foods and beverages, and. It is very popular all over the world. Read more: Understanding Risk and Hazard When it Comes to Chemicals. Contents. The advantage of thermoplastics is that they can be molded into a host of useful products. In its acid form, the resin is used as a solid acid catalyst in organic synthesis. Owing to its less price as compared to other costly polymers, and ease of processing into different shapes and sizes, polystyrene is also used for making toys. Polystyrene foam: used in lightweight protective packaging, foodservice containers, building components, insulation, and more. Its closed cell structure allows only little water absorption. The Polyethylene Oxide (the short name is PEO) (CAS No. It is a rather poor barrier to oxygen and water vapour and has a relatively low melting point. General-purpose polystyrene is clear, hard, and rather brittle. Used in the packaging of products and transportation industry, occurs in the world tons of it each year. Expandable polystyrene beads are primarily used in food and beverage packaging, insulation and cushion packaging. Polystyrene foam EPS can be used in manufacture of sliders, model planes and even surfboards because of its positive strength to weight ratio. Other IT equipment also uses polystyrene because it can give the right kind of finish and shape. Learn more about the chemistry in the products we rely on every day, including how and why particular chemicals are used in different products, and health and safety information about these chemicals. It is applicable to a variety of end-user industries for producing a number of goods in different forms. Polystyrene foodservice packaging can help reduce food-borne illness in homes, hospitals, schools, nursing homes, cafeterias and restaurants. All packaging – glass, aluminum, paper and plastics (such as polystyrene) – contains substances that can “migrate” in very tiny amounts to foods or beverages. It is an inexpensive resin per unit weight. Solid polystyrene: used in packaging, rigid foodservice containers, medical and optical devices, electronics, toys, kitchen appliances, household items, and many other products. Polystyrene is a synthetic aromatic hydrocarbon polymer made from the monomer known as styrene. Test data submitted to FDA indicated that the migration of styrene from polystyrene foodservice products is tiny and expected to be significantly below the safety limits set by FDA itself – 10,000 times less than FDA’s acceptable daily intake level. The scientists reviewed all of the published data on the quantity of styrene contributed to the diet due to migration from food contact packaging. Polystyrene can be solid or foamed. Due to its clarity and ease of sterilization, polystyrene is used for a wide range of medical applications, including tissue culture trays, test tubes, petri dishes, diagnostic components, housings for test kits and medical devices. From 1999 to 2002, a 12-member international expert panel selected by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis conducted a comprehensive review of potential health risks associated with workplace and environmental exposure to styrene. The difference is chemistry. Polystyrene (PS) / ˌ p ɒ l i ˈ s t aɪ r iː n / is a synthetic aromatic polymer made from the monomer styrene.Polystyrene can be solid or foamed. In the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) strictly regulates all food packaging materials, including polystyrene. Foam polystyrene also is widely used in child protective seats. Styrene Acrylonitrile (SAN) plastic: used for food containers, tableware, bathroom fittings, and optical fibers. Molecular Weight: 116.16 g/mol. Public health officials encourage the use of sanitary, single-use foodservice packaging (such as polystyrene) in appropriate settings. 4 Related Records Expand this section. This type of insulation can significantly reduce a building’s energy use and help control indoor temperature. Many people incorrectly use the name STYROFOAM® to refer to polystyrene in food service; STYROFOAM® is a registered trademark of The Dow Chemical Company that refers to its branded building material products. PBT’s flame retardant properties coupled with its glass reinforcement allow it to have high flow and crystallize rapidly creating short mold cycles. Single-use foodservice packaging can help reduce food-borne illness in homes, hospitals, schools, nursing homes, cafeterias and restaurants. Pure polystyrene resin is a highly transparent brittle material, and relatively inexpensive to produce. General-purpose polystyrene is clear, hard, and rather brittle. : 25322-68-3/68441-17-8) is a new type water soluble resin. The scientists concluded that there is no cause for concern from exposure to styrene from food or from polystyrene used in food contact applications, such as packaging and foodservice containers. How Does Styrene Improve Product Performance? Styrene also occurs naturally in foods such as strawberries, cinnamon, coffee and beef. What Are the Uses and Benefits of Styrene? It helps keep the food clean and fresh. Styrene is a liquid that can be chemically linked to create polystyrene, a solid plastic that displays different properties. Different molecular weights […] Composite products, also known as fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRP): used in automobile components, military and commercial aircraft, boats, wind turbine parts, corrosion-resistant pipes and tanks, bathroom fixtures, sporting goods, and many other applications. FDA’s safety evaluations focus on three factors: Tiny amounts of styrene may remain in polystyrene following manufacture, so FDA has evaluated both the safety of the food contact material itself (polystyrene) and the safety of the substance that may migrate (styrene). 1. Production methods include thermoforming (vacuum forming) and injection molding. Polystyrene foodservice packaging is preferred by the foodservice industry because it works better than alternatives. How Are Styrene Products Recycled and Recovered? Read more: Debunking the Myths: Are there really 84,000 chemicals? At room temperature, the thermoplastic polymer is a solid but when heated above 100 °C it flows. “It is in the interest of the health, safety, and welfare of all who live, work, and do business in the City that the amount of litter on the public streets, parks, public places, and open spaces be reduced.” 2. Polystyrene can be solid or foamed. Use a well-ventilated area for printing, especially if you are using: 3D or laser printers that use filaments containing styrene copolymers. The data show that current exposures to styrene from the use of polystyrene food contact products remain extremely low, with the estimated daily intake calculated at 6.6 micrograms per person per day. For more than 70 years, styrene has been used as a chemical building block to make the materials used in a wide variety of finished consumer products, such as food containers, rubber tires, building insulation, carpet backing and boat hulls, surfboards, residential kitchen countertops, bathtubs and shower enclosures. Polystyrene Being Dow Thailand Group’s first factory built in Phra Pradaeng in 1978 before being relocated to Map Ta Phut in 1995, the polystyrene plant got raw materials from one of the Group’s subsidiaries – Siam Styrene Monomer Co., Ltd., to produce multi-purpose high-quality plastic products found in a wide range of every day’s item. Hot foods stay hot, cold foods stay cold, and fresh foods stay fresh. When combined with various colorants, additives or other plastics, polystyrene is used to make appliances, electronics, automobile parts, toys, gardening pots and equipment and more. Read more: What Makes Polystyrene Different from Styrene? Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR), which reduces dependence on natural rubbers and provides improved performance in applications such as vehicle tires (leading to improved fuel efficiency), conveyor belts, gaskets, and seals. It is a rather poor barrier to oxygen and water vapour and has a relatively low melting point. 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