Styrofoam

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the Styrofoam brand. For other materials sometimes referred to as "Styrofoam", see
expanded polystyrene. For other uses, see Styrofoam (disambiguation)
.
Styrofoam brand insulation extruded polystyrene foam (XPS), owned and manufactured by DuPont

Styrofoam is a trademarked brand of closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam (XPS), manufactured to provide continuous building insulation board used in walls, roofs, and foundations as thermal insulation and as a water barrier. This material is light blue in color and is owned and manufactured by DuPont. DuPont also has produced a line of green and white foam shapes for use in crafts and floral arrangements.[1]

The term Styrofoam is often used in the United States as a colloquial term to refer to expanded (not extruded)

cushioning material in packaging.[3][1] Styrofoam is, however, a far less dense material than EPS and is more commonly suited to tasks such as thermal insulation.[2]

Additionally, it is moderately soluble in many organic solvents,

spray paint
.

History

In the 1940s, researchers, originally at

extruded polystyrene as a closed cell foam that resists moisture. The patent on this adaptation was filed in 1947.[5]

Uses

Styrofoam has a variety of uses. Styrofoam is composed of 98% air, making it lightweight and buoyant.[6]

DuPont produces Styrofoam building materials, including varieties of building insulation sheathing and pipe insulation. The claimed R-value of Styrofoam insulation is five per inch.[7]

Styrofoam can be used under roads and other structures to prevent soil disturbances due to freezing and thawing.[8][9]

DuPont also produces Styrofoam blocks and other shapes for use by

florists and in craft products.[10] DuPont insulation Styrofoam has a distinctive blue color; Styrofoam for craft applications is available in white and green.[1]

Environmental issues

The

association between exposure and cancer and that causality is credible, but that other explanations cannot be confidently excluded.[11][12]

See also the expansive list of environmental issues of Polystyrene, among those it being non-biodegradable.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "You can't drink coffee from a STYROFOAM cup". The Dow Chemical Company. Archived from the original on 2005-12-01.
  2. ^ a b "Has styrofoam become a generic trademark?". genericides.org. 31 January 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  3. ^ "What is STYROFOAM?". March 24, 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-03-24.
  4. ISBN 0-8247-8097-3
    .
  5. ^ US 2450436, Otis Ray McIntire, "Manufacture of cellular thermoplastic products", published 1948-10-05, issued 1948-10-05 
  6. ^ "What is the Difference between EPS Polystyrene and (styrofoam)?".
  7. ^ "Dow Announces New Technology for STYROFOAM Insulation". Archived from the original on 2011-08-12.
  8. ^ "Geotechnical applications of Styrofoam". Dow Chemical. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
  9. ^ "Engineering considerations when building on permafrost". Retrieved 2007-08-30.
  10. ^ "STYROFOAM Brand Foam Crafts". Retrieved 2010-12-31.
  11. EPA. December 1994. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  12. INCHEM
    . 2002. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
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