What is a polystyrene foam?
polystyrene foam is a type of plastic made of styrene. It is a lightweight moisture -resistant material with exceptional insulating properties. Because it consists of more than 90 percent of the air, this foam is also remarkably float. It is this characteristic that has forced the American Coast Guard and the US Navy to use polystyrene foam since World War II to produce life rafts and conservers. Consumers are quite familiar with this material, although they are commonly wrong with something else completely. Almost anyone who bought a "Go" coffee has heard that the container is referred to as a postpon ™ Cup. However, this material has never been used to make one -off cups of coffee. For this reason, this has never been used to make portable picnic coolers, other misconceptions. In fact, these products are produced by a born polystyrene foam (EPS) in the form of beads commonly known as the packaging of "peanuts".
unlike disposable cups and picnic coolers, toTerés are significantly white, products are made of polystyrene foam usually blue. It is used to produce insulating packaging for residential houses, commercial buildings and plumbing systems. It is also used in the construction of roads as an insulating layer under the pavement to prevent the formation of cracks and potholes that occur during seasonal freezing and defrosting the soil.
polystyrene foam is also made of materials used in craft projects. In fact, florists are familiar with a distinctive cracking sound made when cutting polystyrefoamu ™ or inserting floral stems into it. It is also used for fashion architectural models and as support for framed photographs and prints. While other forms of polystyrene foams are blue colors, foam made for craft purposes is either green or white.
In terms of environmental impact and hazard to human health health, AmericanThe environmental agency is considered to be the fifth main producer of hazardous waste polystyrene. In addition to the risk of health health as a result of the styrene exposure during processing, there are concerns about the production of polystyrene foam contributing to poor air quality. The reason is the carbon controllers of leaks during production and reactions with nitrogen oxides in the air, which forms a pollutant known as tropospheric ozone.
In addition, many recycling companies do not accept products made of polystyrene foam that remain on the curb, probably because the market for reclamation of this material is limited. For these and other reasons, polystyrene foam is prohibited in some regions, such as Portland, Oregon and Orange County in California.