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Why expanded polystyrene is a good insulator of heat?

Why expanded polystyrene is a good insulator of heat?

Polystyrene and plastic foam are both used as insulators as they have small air bubbles trapped inside them. This makes them very good insulators because heat energy can’t flow through them. The same idea is used to keep the inside of buildings warm.

How is polystyrene a good insulator?

Expanded Polystyrene Insulation is a lightweight insulation, made of polystyrene foam beads. EPS is 90% air because it is not very dense – the fact that it is made up of lots of small polystyrene beads means that there are lots of tiny air pockets. This is what makes it a great insulator.

How does Styrofoam reduce heat loss?

It traps the air in its small pockets. Styrofoam has millions of small air bubbles trapped inside the foam. Since air is a bad conductor of heat Styrofoam efficiently prevents heat transfer.

Is polystyrene good for heat?

Extruded polystyrene (XPS) and expanded polystyrene insulation (EPS) contain millions of air pockets trapped within the foam. Because the polystyrene itself is also highly resistant to heat, the result is a great thermal insulator which can give excellent R-ratings.

Why is polystyrene a poor conductor of heat?

Styrofoam is primarily made of air. This makes it a poor conductor of heat but an excellent insulator. The air is trapped in small pockets in the polystyrene, and it blocks the flow of heat.

What happens to Styrofoam when heated?

If you put a styrofoam container or cup in the hot oven, it will start to discompose. Leaving Styrofoam in the oven at high heat will cause it to melt and turn into a soft and sticky mass. Some oil may come out of burnt styrofoam as there is styrene in it.

What is expanded polystyrene?

EPS is a rigid, closed cell, thermoplastic foam material. It is produced from solid beads of polystyrene. Expansion is achieved by virtue of small amounts of gas contained within the polystyrene bead. The gas expands when heat in the form of steam is applied, thus forming closed cells of EPS.

Why does polystyrene keep things hot?

Styrofoam keeps things warm because it’s made out of polystyrene foam, which has many trapped pockets of air. Air doesn’t allow heat to pass through it too well, so the air pockets in styrofoam insulate whatever is in the container and prevent heat from escaping.

Does Styrofoam expand with heat?

When Styrofoam is manufactured, very small plastic polystyrene pellets are first made. These plastic pellets are put through a heating process, which causes them to expand 40 to 50 times their original size. It is lightweight because Styrofoam is about 95 percent air.

At what temperature does polystyrene melt?

6.6. 2 Polystyrene Properties

Property Units Syndiotactic PS
Melting point °C 270
Glass transition temperature °C 100
HDT at (0.46 MPa or 66 psi) °C 108
HDT at (1.8 MPa or 264 psi) °C 90

What is expanded polystyrene used for?

Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) is a rigid cellular plastic, which is found in a multitude of shapes and applications. It is used for fish boxes, packaging for electrical consumer goods and for insulation panels for building. These are the most commonly known uses and we will mention others in this document.

How does expanded polystyrene work?

First, the polystyrene beads undergo pre-expansion, in which they are expanded to give them the proper density. After aging in a storage silo, the beads are fed into a mold and injected with steam, which expands the beads once again and fuses them together.

How does expanded polystyrene work as an insulator?

Therefore, many insulating materials (e.g. expanded polystyrene) function simply by having a large number of gas-filled pockets which prevent large-scale convection. Alternation of gas pocket and solid material causes that the heat must be transferred through many interfaces causing rapid decrease in heat transfer coefficient.

What is the thermal conductivity of expanded polystyrene?

Typical thermal conductivity values for expanded polystyrene are between 0.030 and 0.040W/m∙K. In general, thermal insulation is primarily based on the very low thermal conductivity of gases.

What’s the difference between EPs and extruded polystyrene?

Expanded (EPS) and extruded polystyrene (XPS) are both made from polystyrene, but EPS is composed of small plastic beads that are fused together and XPS begins as a molten material that is pressed out of a form into sheets. XPS is most commonly used as foam board insulation.

What are the effects of polystyrene on the environment?

“Due to the physical properties of polystyrene, the EPA states “that such materials can also have serious impacts on human health, wildlife, the aquatic environment and the economy.”

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