STYROFOAM®, polystyrene insulation

STYROFOAM , polystyrene insulation, 122 STYRON A-TECH , polystyrene resins, 122 Subtilisins, 122 Sucrose, 122... 

INSULATION [see also SUPERINSULATION] Performance of Heat Insulating Materials Down to 20 K (1) 212 Vacuum-Powder Insulation (1) 216 Styrofoam (Expanded Polystyrene) Insulation at Low Temperatures (1) 230 The Effect of Some Variables in Low Temperature Processes (1) 342 Characteristics of Some Insulations for Liquid Oxygen Transfer Lines (2) 156 A Comparison of Insulating Materials (3) 416... 

Polystyrene is a common polymer used to make Styrofoam containers, packing peanuts, and insulation. Another kind of packing peanut used is made of starch. Place about a cup of acetone in a glass container. Acetone is available wherever paint is sold. Do this in a well-ventilated area. Be careful with the acetone, it can remove paint and ruin finishes. Add a starch packing peanut to the acetone and then a Styrofoam packing peanut. The starch peanut will not dissolve, but the polystyrene peanut will. Dilute the acetone with ample amounts of water before disposing down the sink. 

Figure 12.29 shows that using styrene as the monomer yields polystyrene. Transparent plastic cups are made of polystyrene, as are thousands of other household items. Blowing gas into liquid polystyrene generates Styrofoam, widely used for coffee cups, packing material, and insulation. 

Polymers are giant molecules made by combining many smaller molecules. Some polymer molecules may contain several million atoms. Important natural polymers include natural rubber, starch, and DNA. Rubber bands and some automobile tires are made of natural rubber. Starch is found in many foods. DNA is the molecule of heredity. Some important polymers made by scientists are nylon, which is used in making fabrics, polyethylene, which is used to make plastic bags and plastic bottles, and polystyrene, which is used in making styrofoam cups and insulation. 

Polystyrene is made by radical polymerization and is atactic and amorphous. Incorporation of small air bubbles produces a foam (Styrofoam) that finds a major use in packaging materials and insulation. 

Constant-Pressure Reaction Calorimeters. A constant-pressure calorimeter measures the change in enthalpy AH for a chemical reaction occurring in solution under constant atmospheric pressure a trivial example is the coffee-cup calorimeter, which is constructed from two nested polystyrene (Styrofoam ) cups having holes through which a thermometer and a stirring rod can be inserted. The inner cup holds the solution in which the reaction occurs, while the outer cup provides insulation. (A fancier version uses a Dewar181 vessel to approximate adiabatic conditions for the reaction.) Then... 

The product of this polymerization is polystyrene a clear, brittle plastic that is often used for inexpensive lenses, transparent containers, and styrofoam insulation. Polystyrene is also the major component of the resin beads that are used to make synthetic proteins. (See Section 24-11). 

Polystyrene foam insulation, such as Styrofoam , prevents heat flow and does not absorb water. 

Any television, computer, or other fragile item you have purchased in recent years has probably come packaged in polystyrene foam (Styrofoam ) for protection. The same foam is likely to be serving as insulation in the cooler you take along on a picnic. It is a stiff, low-density, non-heat-conducting solid produced by blowing gas into polystyrene liquid as it solidifies. Over 700 million pounds were manufactured in 1995. 

H H / C=C / H Styrene /H H 1 1 d-c—c— rO Polystyrene / n foam insulation and packing (Styrofoam ), plastic utensils, rigid, transparent salad containers, clothes hangers, foam cups, and plates... 

Synthetic polymers can be divided into two major classes, depending on their method of preparation. Chain-growth polymers, also known as addition polymers, are made by chain reactions—the addition of monomers to the end of a growing chain. The end of the chain is reactive because it is a radical, a cation, or an anion. Polystyrene—used for disposable food containers, insulation, and toothbrush handles, among other things—is an example of a chain-growth polymer. Polystyrene is pumped full of air to produce the material known as Styrofoam . 

About two-thirds of all the styrene produced in the United States is used in the manufacture of polystyrene. Polystyrene is a clear, colorless, hard plastic that is easily molded and made into a foam known as styrofoam. It is used in the insulation of electrical wires and devices, in containers for hot and cold foods and drinks, and for the insulation of buildings. 

Polystyrene, as mentioned, is the most common packaging foam. Polystyrene foam is the material of choice if it can perform acceptably, since it is typically the least expensive packaging foam available. It is used extensively for containers as well as for cushioning material, in molded shapes and in extruded form. Molded shapes are commonly termed expanded polystyrene foam (EPS), while the extruded material is called simply extruded PS foam. The term styrofoam is often incorrectly used for these materials, but Styrofoam is a Dow Chemical Company trade-marked extruded polystyrene foam used primarily for building insulation and not found in packaging. 

Polystyrene (10.8) A thermoplastic polymer made from styrene monomer used in plastic model kits and plastic cutlery. Can be aerated to produce a foam (Styrofoam ) and made into coffee cups or insulated food containers. 

GH2=GHGsH5 Styrene Polystyrene, Styrofoam insulating materials... 

Styrofoam (Dow Chemical Co.) is the tradename for expanded polystyrene foam. It is made by a process similar to the one described for foamed polyethylene. The materials have a closed-cell structure with very low thermal conductivity and low moisture absorption. One of the serious limitations of polystyrene foam is its rather low maximum operating temperature of approximately SO C. It is used mainly as thermal insulation in buildings, flotation apparatus, decorations, and packaging. 

Styrofoam, Insulation, extruded polystyrene board, sheet, Dow Plastics... 

Styrene can also be homopolymerized to produce polystyrene (Sec. 22.2). This material is one of the most versatile plastics ever invented. For example, it can be molded into rigid cases for radios and batteries or formulated in a more flexible form useful in the manufacture of toys and all kinds of containers. Polystyrene can also be produced in the form of a lightweight foam known as Styrofoam . This foam is used for insulation in buildings and is molded into ice chests and disposable cups for hot and cold drinks. 

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