Styrenics polymers

The terms Styrenics or Styrenic Polymers are used to describe a family of major plastic products that use Styrene as their key building block. Included in this family of products are:

• PS, or Polystyrene: a thermoplastic polymer which softens when heated and can be converted into semi-finished products like films and sheets, as well as a wide range of finished articles.
• EPS, or Expandable Polystyrene: a thermoplastic product that is lightweight, strong, and offers excellent thermal insulation, making it ideal for the packaging and construction industries.
• ABS, or Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene Copolymer: an opaque, thermoplastic polymer material made from the monomers Acrylonitrile, 1,3-Butadiene and Styrene. Strong and durable even at low temperatures, it offers good resistance to heat and chemicals and is easy to process.
• SAN - Styrene Acrylonitrile Copolymer: a transparent thermoplastic polymer material with amorphous structure made from the monomers Styrene and Acrylonitrile.
• UPR, or Unsaturated Polyester Resins: durable, resinous polymers derived from styrene and used mainly the construction, boat building, automotive and electrical industries.
• SBR, or Styrene Butadiene Rubber: a rubber manufactured from styrene.

The benefits of styrenic polymers

Styrenic polymers offer many industries a wide variety of benefits, including:

• lightweight, water resistant and excellent thermal insulator characteristics
• in food packaging, they provide high levels of protection against spoilage
• Rigid, with a high strength-to-weight ratio that offers energy-savings benefits in transportation and an excellent cost performance
• Can be shatterproof and transparent if required
• Good electrical insulation
• Easy to process and produce in a range of attractive colours
• Easy to recycle

Manufacturers use styrene-based resins to produce a wide variety of everyday goods ranging from cups and utensils to furniture, bathroom, and kitchen appliances, hospital and school supplies, boats, sports and recreational equipment, consumer electronics, automobile parts, and durable lightweight packaging of all kinds.

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Facts and figures

• The market for PS
       o Applications overview
       o PS in food packaging
  
• The market for EPS
       o Applications overview
       o Guidelines for transport and storage of expandable polystyrene raw beads
  
• The market for ABS/SAN
• How are styrenics manufactured?
• What is inside the polymer?
• What is inside the Copolymers?

Health, Safety & Environment

• Food contact
• Fire safety
• Product safety
• Environmental preservation

FAQ's

• Questions & Answers

News

• Polystyrene homes planned for Afghans