Polystyrenes decoration, application

Even if the different consumer habits in the U.S.A. and Western Europe are taken into account, the comparison shows clearly that the various applications have undergone different developments. There has been a sharp drop - in relative terms -in the use of impact polystyrene for refrigeration - initially its main application - and for toys. In Europe, decorative articles play hardly any role. The packaging sector has made particularly big advances. Housewares, too, are on the way up. 

In general, polystyrene is used in applications where ease of fabrication and decorability arc required. Polystyrene has excellent electrical properties, good thermal and dimensional stability, lesistance to staining, and low cost. General purpose polystyrene is preferred where clarity is also of prime concern, Impact polystyrene is preferred where toughness is needed.)... 

Decorative films are a natural application for SBC. These films can be used for gift wrap, flower wrap or food wrap. They require high gloss, transparency, stiffness, deadfold and transparent color. The economics and stiffness of the film can also be easily modified by blending with crystal polystyrene [18]. Highly decorated SBC films are also used as decorative laminated films on foamed polystyrene trays and packages. 

Figure 14.7 TEM ofPANI hollow spheres produced by chemical polymerization of aniline on polystyrene particles and removal with tetrahydrofuran, and decorated with gold nanoparticles. (Reprinted with permission from Langmuir, Polyaniline / Au composite hollow spheres Synthesis, characterisation, and application to the detection of dopamine by X. M. Feng, C.J. Mao, C. Yang et al., 22, 9, 4384-4389. Copyright (2006) American Chemical Society)...

---