Styrofoam

Styrofoam is a trademarked brand of closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam (XPS), commonly called "Blue Board", manufactured as foam continuous building insulation board used in walls, roofs, and foundations as thermal insulation and water barrier. This material is light blue in color and is owned and manufactured by The Dow Chemical Company.[1]

This article is about the Styrofoam brand. For the material sometimes incorrectly referred to as "Styrofoam", see Expanded polystyrene. For other uses, see Styrofoam (disambiguation).
Styrofoam brand insulation extruded polystyrene foam (XPS), owned and manufactured by Dow

In the United States and Canada, the colloquial use of the word styrofoam refers to another material that is usually white in color and made of expanded (not extruded) polystyrene foam (EPS). It is often used in food containers, coffee cups, and as cushioning material in packaging.[1] The trademarked term is used generically although it is a different material from the extruded polystyrene used for Styrofoam insulation.

The Styrofoam brand polystyrene foam, which is used for craft applications, can be identified by its roughness and the "crunch" it makes when cut. Additionally, it is moderately soluble in many organic solvents, cyanoacrylate, and the propellants and solvents of spray paint.

History

In the 1940s, researchers in Dow's Chemical Physics Lab, led by Ray McIntire, found a way to make foamed polystyrene. They rediscovered a method first used by Swedish inventor Carl Georg Munters, and obtained an exclusive license to Munters's patent in the United States.[2] Dow found ways to adapt Munters's method to make large quantities of extruded polystyrene as a closed cell foam that resists moisture. The patent on this adaptation was filed in 1947.[3]

Uses

Styrofoam has a variety of uses. Dow produces Styrofoam building materials, including varieties of building insulation sheathing and pipe insulation. The claimed R-value of Styrofoam insulation is five per inch.[4]

Styrofoam can be used under roads and other structures to prevent soil disturbances due to freezing and thawing.[5][6]

Styrofoam is composed of 98% air, making it lightweight and buoyant.[7]

Dow also produces Styrofoam as structural insulated panels for use by florists and in craft products.[8] Dow insulation Styrofoam has a distinctive blue color; Styrofoam for craft applications is available in white and green.

Environmental effects

The EPA and International Agency for Research on Cancer reported limited evidence that styrene is carcinogenic for humans and experimental animals, meaning that there is a positive association between exposure and cancer and that causality is credible, but that other explanations cannot be confidently excluded.[9][10]

See also

References
  1. Dow Chemical Company Styrofoam page
  2. Boundy, Ray H.; Amos, J. Lawrence (1991). A History of the Dow Chemical Physics Lab. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc. pp. 117–128. ISBN 0-8247-8097-3.
  3. US 2450436, Otis Ray McIntire, "Manufacture of cellular thermoplastic products", published 1948-10-05, issued 1948-10-05
  4. Dow Announces New Technology for STYROFOAM Insulation
  5. "Geotechnical applications of Styrofoam". Dow Chemical. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
  6. "Engineering considerations when building on permafrost". Retrieved 2007-08-30.
  7. "What is the Difference between EPS Polystyrene and (styrofoam)?".
  8. "STYROFOAM Brand Foam Crafts". Retrieved 2010-12-31.
  9. "(Styrene) Fact Sheet: Support Document (CAS No. 100-42-5)" (PDF). EPA. December 1994. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  10. "STYRENE (Group 2B)". INCHEM. 2002. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
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