PS

PS – Polystyrene
Polystyrene was discovered in 1839 by Eduard Simon, an apothecary in Berlin. From storax, the resin of the Turkish sweetgum tree Liquidambar orientalis, he distilled an oily substance, a monomer that he named styrol. Several days later, Simon found that the styrol had thickened, presumably from oxidation; into a jelly he dubbed styrol oxide ("Styroloxyd"). The company I. G. Farben began manufacturing polystyrene in Ludwigshafen, Germany, about 1931, hoping it would be a suitable replacement for die-cast zinc in many applications. Success was achieved when they developed a reactor vessel that extruded polystyrene through a heated tube and cutter, producing polystyrene in pellet form. In 1959, the Koppers Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, developed expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam. In 1937, the Dow Chemical company introduced polystyrene products to the U.S. market.

Polystyrene is generally classified as :

• Crystal polystyrene (general purpose)
• Impact polystyrene (HIPS). Polystyrene is produced by suspension, bulk/mass, or solution polymerization.

LG Chem, Polimeri Europa, The Dow Chemical, Styron, Dow, SABIC, Nova chemicals and Supreme Petrochem Ltd, are some of the leading producers of polystyrene in the world. In India total PS capacity is expected to reach 490 KTA by 2016-17 against projected demand of 275 KTA.
Polystyrene is used in varied applications:

Packaging : Eggs and dairy products, meat, fish and poultry, cold drinks or carry-out meals. All these products are safely packed with polystyrene packaging materials; by doing so spoilage of foods is prevented.

Appliances : From refrigerators and air conditioners, to ovens and microwaves, from hand-held vacuum cleaners to blenders, polystyrene resins meet almost all end-product requirements. Polystyrene resins are safe and cost effective, with excellent appearance and functionality mainly due to easy-processing.

Consumer electronics : Polystyrene is used for housing for TV's and all kind of emerging trends in IT equipment where the criteria for use are combinations of function, form and aesthetics and a high performance/cost ratio. Polystyrene is the leading choice for media enclosures, cassette tape housing and clear jewel boxes to protect CD's and DVD's.

Construction : Polystyrene resins are among the most popular materials for building and construction applications, like Insulation foam, roofing, siding, panels, bath and shower units, lighting, plumbing fixtures. With their excellent price performance balance and good process ability and other performance properties, polystyrene resins find use in these building products.

Medical : With excellent clarity and process ability and outstanding post-sterilization aesthetics, polystyrene resins are used for a wide range of disposable medical applications, including tissue culture trays, test tubes, petri dishes, diagnostic components, and housing for test kits.