Polystyrene (PS, (C8H8)n) is a synthetic aromatic hydrocarbon polymer made from styrene monomer which is produced from ethylene and benzene. A PS is a hard, solid plastic or a foam, and chemically resistant to both acids and bases, but is easily dissolved by many chlorinated and aromatic hydrocarbon solvents used in a variety of consumer product applications and is also particularly useful for commercial packaging. Dow Chemical Company invented a proprietary process to make their trademarked and well-known polystyrene foam product Styrofoam in 1941.
Reference Definition by Wikipedia: Polystyrene (PS) is a synthetic aromatic polymer made from the monomer styrene. Polystyrene can be solid or foamed. General-purpose polystyrene is clear, hard, and rather brittle. It is an inexpensive resin per unit weight. It is a rather poor barrier to oxygen and water vapour and has a relatively low melting point. Polystyrene is one of the most widely used plastics, the scale of its production being several million tonnes per year. Polystyrene can be naturally transparent, but can be coloured with colourants. Uses include protective packaging (such as packing peanuts and CD and DVD cases), containers (such as “clamshells”), lids, bottles, trays, tumblers, disposable cutlery, and in the making of models.
Related Definitions in the Project: The Plant and Process Unit
