What is a Polystyrene Foam?
Polystyrene foam is type of plastic produced from styrene. It is a lightweight, moisture-resistant material with exceptional insulation properties. Since it is composed of more than 90 percent air, this foam is also remarkably buoyant. It is this characteristic that prompted the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy to use polystyrene foam to make life rafts and preservers since World War II. Consumers are quite familiar with this material too, although it is commonly mistaken for something else entirely. Styrofoam™ is the trademarked name for extruded polystyrene foam, an invention of the Dow Chemical Company that has been in production for more than 50 years. Nearly anyone who has purchased coffee “to go” has heard the container being referred to as a Styrofoam™ cup. However, this material has never been used to make disposable coffee cups. For that matter, it’s never been used to make portable picnic coolers either, another misconception. These products are actually made from expanded
Polystyrene foam is type of plastic produced from styrene. It is a lightweight, moisture-resistant material with exceptional insulation properties. Since it is composed of more than 90 percent air, this foam is also remarkably buoyant. It is this characteristic that prompted the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy to use polystyrene foam to make life rafts and preservers since World War II. Consumers are quite familiar with this material too, although it is commonly mistaken for something else entirely.
