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54-598: Permasteelisa S.p.A. is an Italian company in engineering, project management, manufacturing and installation of architectural envelopes and interior systems. The company is known for being one of handful producing continuous external cladding used for the design and construction of large buildings such as airports and skyscrapers. Its materials can be found on the Sydney Opera House ; the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao ; or

108-469: A polymerisation process. About 80 years later it was realized that heating of styrol starts a chain reaction that produces macromolecules , following the thesis of German organic chemist Hermann Staudinger (1881–1965). This eventually led to the substance receiving its present name, polystyrene. The company I. G. Farben began manufacturing polystyrene in Ludwigshafen , about 1931, hoping it would be

162-462: A "blowing agent", a material that enables the beads to be expanded. Pentane is commonly used as the blowing agent. The beads are added to a continuously agitated reactor with the blowing agent, among other additives, and the blowing agent seeps into pores within each bead. The beads are then expanded using steam. EPS is used for food containers , molded sheets for building insulation , and packing material either as solid blocks formed to accommodate

216-627: A "pocket-sized" multinational, a company with a modest turnover but a worldwide presence. The main area of activity for the Permasteelisa Group is the curtain wall sector. In 2015, the Exteriors Business Unit represented 84.5% of the turnover (83.3% in 2002), the Interiors Business Unit 12.7% and Contract Business Unit 2.8%. Cladding (construction) Cladding is the application of one material over another to provide

270-563: A US patent for polystyrene foam as an insulation product in 1935 (USA patent number 2,023,204). PS foams also exhibit good damping properties, therefore it is used widely in packaging. The trademark Styrofoam by Dow Chemical Company is informally used (mainly US & Canada) for all foamed polystyrene products, although strictly it should only be used for "extruded closed-cell" polystyrene foams made by Dow Chemicals. Foams are also used for non-weight-bearing architectural structures (such as ornamental pillars ). Expanded polystyrene (EPS)

324-740: A cavity where rain can run down. In the event of a fire this draws hot air up like a chimney , intensifies the fire, and spreads it to the top of the clad area. The fire can then get inside the building through open windows, for example to curtains blowing through windows. In addition to the chimney effect, the cladding material itself can contribute to a fire. Brick has excellent fire resistance ; planks or weatherboards made from fibre cement or steel have high fire resistance; aluminium and reconstituted timber products have good fire resistance, and timber weatherboards and plywood sheets have poor fire resistance. Composite cladding typically consists of panels 3–5 millimetres (0.12–0.20 in) thick made of

378-466: A chain of polystyrene, giving a molar mass of 100,000–400,000 g/mol. Each carbon of the backbone has tetrahedral geometry , and those carbons that have a phenyl group (benzene ring) attached are stereogenic . If the backbone were to be laid as a flat elongated zig-zag chain, each phenyl group would be tilted forward or backward compared to the plane of the chain. The relative stereochemical relationship of consecutive phenyl groups determines

432-399: A core material sandwiched between two aluminium faces. The core material may be polyethylene (which is combustible ), a mineral-based material, or a combination of both. Panels of the same appearance may have different core materials; those with a higher proportion of mineral core withstand fire better, but can still be considered combustible. Fire will be spread by the cladding if the core

486-634: A fire risk by design or material. Cladding in construction is material applied over another to provide a skin or layer and used to provide a degree of thermal insulation and weather resistance , and to improve the appearance of buildings. Between the cladding and the wall there is a cavity where rain can run down. Cladding can be made of any of a wide range of materials including wood, metal, brick, vinyl , and composite materials that can include aluminium, wood, blends of cement and recycled polystyrene , or wheat/rice straw fibres. Materials used for cladding affect vulnerability to fire . Rainscreen cladding

540-465: A grey/black color which distinguishes it from standard EPS. Several EPS producers have produced a variety of these increased thermal resistance EPS usage for this product in the UK and EU. Water vapor diffusion resistance ( μ ) of EPS is around 30–70. ICC-ES ( International Code Council Evaluation Service) requires EPS boards used in building construction meet ASTM C578 requirements. One of these requirements

594-672: A metallocene catalyst for the polymerisation reaction. Polystyrene is relatively chemically inert. While it is waterproof and resistant to breakdown by many acids and bases, it is easily attacked by many organic solvents (e.g. it dissolves quickly when exposed to acetone ), chlorinated solvents, and aromatic hydrocarbon solvents. Because of its resilience and inertness, it is used for fabricating many objects of commerce. Like other organic compounds, polystyrene burns to give carbon dioxide and water vapor , in addition to other thermal degradation by-products. Polystyrene, being an aromatic hydrocarbon , typically combusts incompletely as indicated by

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648-430: A polyethylene core which contributed to the fire; these panels cost about £2 less than ones with incombustible core. There are estimated to be about 600 high-rise blocks of flats in the UK that have "similar" cladding and some fire safety tests—not full BS 8414 tests—were carried out on panels; of the first 75 tested, 100% failed. Polystyrene Polystyrene ( PS ) / ˌ p ɒ l i ˈ s t aɪ r iː n /

702-413: A skin or layer. In construction , cladding is used to provide a degree of thermal insulation and weather resistance , and to improve the appearance of buildings. Cladding can be made of any of a wide range of materials including wood, metal, brick, vinyl , and composite materials that can include aluminium, wood, blends of cement and recycled polystyrene , wheat/rice straw fibres. Rainscreen cladding

756-716: A smoke-developed index of less than 450. ICC-ES requires the use of a 15-minute thermal barrier when EPS boards are used inside of a building. According to the EPS-IA ICF organization, the typical density of EPS used for insulated concrete forms ( expanded polystyrene concrete ) is 1.35 to 1.80 pounds per cubic foot (21.6 to 28.8 kg/m ). This is either Type II or Type IX EPS according to ASTM C578. EPS blocks or boards used in building construction are commonly cut using hot wires. Extruded polystyrene foam (XPS) consists of closed cells. It offers improved surface roughness, higher stiffness and reduced thermal conductivity. The density range

810-556: A split via a channel system of gates and runners. EPS is colloquially called "styrofoam" in the Anglosphere , an genericization of Dow Chemical's brand of extruded polystyrene . Sheets of EPS are commonly packaged as rigid panels (common in Europe is a size of 100 cm x 50 cm, usually depending on an intended type of connection and glue techniques, it is, in fact, 99.5 cm x 49.5 cm or 98 cm x 48 cm; less common

864-496: A sprayed-on coating is necessary to prevent saturation. Oriented polystyrene (OPS) is produced by stretching extruded PS film, improving visibility through the material by reducing haziness and increasing stiffness. This is often used in packaging where the manufacturer would like the consumer to see the enclosed product. Some benefits to OPS are that it is less expensive to produce than other clear plastics such as polypropylene (PP), (PET), and high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), and it

918-502: 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. Ray McIntire (1918–1996), a chemical engineer of Dow Chemical, rediscovered a process first patented in early 1930s by Swedish inventor Carl Munters . According to the Science History Institute, "Dow bought

972-490: Is 120 x 60 cm; size 4 by 8 ft (1.2 by 2.4 m) or 2 by 8 ft (0.61 by 2.44 m) in the United States). Common thicknesses are from 10 mm to 500 mm. Many customizations, additives, and thin additional external layers on one or both sides are often added to help with various properties. An example of this is lamination with cement board to form a structural insulated panel . Thermal conductivity

1026-476: Is a distinct compound). By 1845 Jamaican-born chemist John Buddle Blyth and German chemist August Wilhelm von Hofmann showed that the same transformation of styrol took place in the absence of oxygen. They called the product "meta styrol"; analysis showed that it was chemically identical to Simon's Styroloxyd. In 1866 Marcellin Berthelot correctly identified the formation of meta styrol/Styroloxyd from styrol as

1080-430: Is a form of weather cladding designed to protect against the elements, but also offers thermal insulation. The cladding does not itself need to be waterproof , merely a control element: it may serve only to direct water or wind safely away in order to control run-off and prevent its infiltration into the building structure. Cladding may also be a control element for noise , either entering or escaping. Cladding can become

1134-417: Is a form of weather cladding designed to protect against the elements, but also offers thermal insulation. The cladding does not need, itself, to be waterproof , merely a control element: it may serve only to direct water or wind safely away in order to control run-off and prevent its infiltration into the building structure. Single-skin metal panels are pre-formed wall panels made from metal that are one of

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1188-524: Is a rigid and tough, closed-cell foam with a normal density range of 11 to 32 kg/m . It is usually white and made of pre-expanded polystyrene beads. The manufacturing process for EPS conventionally begins with the creation of small polystyrene beads. Styrene monomers (and potentially other additives) are suspended in water, where they undergo free-radical addition polymerization. The polystyrene beads formed by this mechanism may have an average diameter of around 200 μm. The beads are then permeated with

1242-449: Is a synthetic polymer made from monomers of the aromatic hydrocarbon styrene . Polystyrene can be solid or foamed . General-purpose polystyrene is clear, hard, and brittle. It is an inexpensive resin per unit weight. It is a poor barrier to air and water vapor and has a relatively low melting point. Polystyrene is one of the most widely used plastics , with the scale of its production being several million tonnes per year. Polystyrene

1296-450: Is about 28–34 kg/m . Extruded polystyrene material is also used in crafts and model building, in particular architectural models. Because of the extrusion manufacturing process, XPS does not require facers to maintain its thermal or physical property performance. Thus, it makes a more uniform substitute for corrugated cardboard . Thermal conductivity varies between 0.029 and 0.039 W/(m·K) depending on bearing strength/density and

1350-571: Is combustible. In the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire in London , and similar fires in France , Dubai , and elsewhere, great attention has been paid to the fire protection qualities of cladding used in tower-blocks and similar high-rise multiple-occupancy housing and, in particular, the use of aluminium composite material (ACM) and ACM panels (ACP). Grenfell Tower was clad with composite panels with

1404-437: Is commonly injection molded , vacuum formed , or extruded, while expanded polystyrene is either extruded or molded in a special process. Polystyrene copolymers are also produced; these contain one or more other monomers in addition to styrene. In recent years the expanded polystyrene composites with cellulose and starch have also been produced. Polystyrene is used in some polymer-bonded explosives (PBX). Polystyrene (PS)

1458-484: Is exploited for extrusion (as in Styrofoam ) and also for molding and vacuum forming , since it can be cast into molds with fine detail. The temperatures behavior can be controlled by photocrosslinking. Under ASTM standards, polystyrene is regarded as not biodegradable . It is accumulating as a form of litter in the outside environment , particularly along shores and waterways, especially in its foam form, and in

1512-468: Is generally considered to be non-biodegradable. However, certain organisms are able to degrade it, albeit very slowly. In 2015, researchers discovered that mealworms , the larvae form of the darkling beetle Tenebrio molitor , could digest and subsist healthily on a diet of EPS. About 100 mealworms could consume between 34 and 39 milligrams of this white foam in a day. The droppings of mealworm were found to be safe for use as soil for crops. In 2016, it

1566-410: Is initiated with free radicals . Ziegler–Natta polymerization can produce an ordered syndiotactic polystyrene with the phenyl groups positioned on alternating sides of the hydrocarbon backbone. This form is highly crystalline with a T m (melting point) of 270 °C (518 °F). Syndiotactic polystyrene resin is currently produced under the trade name XAREC by Idemitsu corporation, who use

1620-557: Is measured according to EN 12667. Typical values range from 0.032 to 0.038 W/(m⋅K) depending on the density of the EPS board. The value of 0.038 W/(m⋅K) was obtained at 15 kg/m while the value of 0.032 W/(m⋅K) was obtained at 40 kg/m according to the datasheet of K-710 from StyroChem Finland. Adding fillers (graphites, aluminum, or carbons) has recently allowed the thermal conductivity of EPS to reach around 0.030–0.034 W/(m⋅K) (as low as 0.029 W/(m⋅K)) and as such has

1674-548: Is naturally transparent , but can be colored with colorants. Uses include protective packaging (such as packing peanuts and optical disc jewel cases ), containers, lids, bottles, trays, tumblers, disposable cutlery , in the making of models, and as an alternative material for phonograph records . As a thermoplastic polymer, polystyrene is in a solid (glassy) state at room temperature but flows if heated above about 100 °C, its glass transition temperature . It becomes rigid again when cooled. This temperature behaviour

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1728-412: Is not produced commercially. [REDACTED] The only commercially important form of polystyrene is atactic , in which the phenyl groups are randomly distributed on both sides of the polymer chain. This random positioning prevents the chains from aligning with sufficient regularity to achieve any crystallinity . The plastic has a glass transition temperature T g of ~90 °C. Polymerization

1782-732: Is often done to introduce polar groups. Much of modern biomedical research relies on the use of such products; they, therefore, play a critical role in pharmaceutical research. Thin sheets of polystyrene are used in polystyrene film capacitors as it forms a very stable dielectric , but has largely fallen out of use in favor of polyester . Polystyrene foams are 95–98% air. Polystyrene foams are good thermal insulators and are therefore often used as building insulation materials, such as in insulating concrete forms and structural insulated panel building systems. Grey polystyrene foam, incorporating graphite , has superior insulation properties. Carl Munters and John Gudbrand Tandberg of Sweden received

1836-404: Is that the limiting oxygen index of EPS as measured by ASTM D2863 be greater than 24 volume %. Typical EPS has an oxygen index of around 18 volume %; thus, a flame retardant is added to styrene or polystyrene during the formation of EPS. The boards containing a flame retardant when tested in a tunnel using test method UL 723 or ASTM E84 will have a flame spread index of less than 25 and

1890-723: Is used for producing disposable plastic cutlery and dinnerware , CD "jewel" cases , smoke detector housings, license plate frames, plastic model assembly kits, and many other objects where a rigid, economical plastic is desired. Production methods include thermoforming ( vacuum forming ) and injection molding . Polystyrene Petri dishes and other laboratory containers such as test tubes and microplates play an important role in biomedical research and science. For these uses, articles are almost always made by injection molding, and often sterilized post-molding, either by irradiation or by treatment with ethylene oxide . Post-mold surface modification, usually with oxygen -rich plasmas ,

1944-588: The London Shard . The company has around 3,900 employees worldwide and a network of 40 companies (including offices, plants and R&D centers) in 30 countries. The company was founded in 1973 with the name of Infissi Serramenti Alluminio (ISA). Its headquarters are in Vittorio Veneto , Province of Treviso . After the acquisition of the Australian company Permasteel Industries Pty Ltd in 1986, which manufactured

1998-401: The sooty flame. The process of depolymerizing polystyrene into its monomer , styrene , is called pyrolysis . This involves using high heat and pressure to break down the chemical bonds between each styrene compound. Pyrolysis usually goes up to 430 °C. The high energy cost of doing this has made commercial recycling of polystyrene back into styrene monomer difficult. Polystyrene

2052-428: The tacticity , which affects various physical properties of the material. In polystyrene, tacticity describes the extent to which the phenyl group is uniformly aligned (arranged at one side) in the polymer chain. Tacticity has a strong effect on the properties of the plastic. Standard polystyrene is atactic. The diastereomer where all of the phenyl groups are on the same side is called isotactic polystyrene, which

2106-590: The Pacific Ocean. Polystyrene was discovered in 1839 by Eduard Simon , an apothecary from Berlin. From storax , the resin of the Oriental sweetgum tree Liquidambar orientalis , he distilled an oily substance, that he named styrol, now called styrene . Several days later, Simon found that it had thickened into a jelly, now known to have been a polymer , that he dubbed styrol oxide ("Styroloxyd") because he presumed that it had resulted from oxidation ( styrene oxide

2160-516: The United States (CFIUS) blocked the transaction. In May 2020, Permasteelisa is sold to the American fund Atlas Holding. As of 31 December 2015, the Permasteelisa Group turnover was €1,528 million. The normalized EBIT was €41 million, representing 2.7% of the sales. The shareholders' equity amounted to €234.69 million, while the net financial position was €-306 million. Permasteelisa an examples of

2214-463: The United States, first in interiors fit-out and later investing in the curtain wall market. In 2011, Permasteelisa was acquired by Japanese Lixil Group for €575 million. In 2018, the United States blocked an attempted acquisition of Permasteelisa by Chinese interior design company Grandland from its Japanese owner on unspecified security grounds. It is unclear why the Committee on Foreign Investment in

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2268-416: The average value is ~0.035 W/(m·K). Water vapor diffusion resistance (μ) of XPS is around 80–250. Commonly extruded polystyrene foam materials include: Although it is a closed-cell foam, both expanded and extruded polystyrene are not entirely waterproof or vapor proof. In expanded polystyrene there are interstitial gaps between the expanded closed-cell pellets that form an open network of channels between

2322-694: The bonded pellets, and this network of gaps can become filled with liquid water. If the water freezes into ice, it expands and can cause polystyrene pellets to break off from the foam. Extruded polystyrene is also permeable by water molecules and can not be considered a vapor barrier. Water-logging commonly occurs over a long period in polystyrene foams that are constantly exposed to high humidity or are continuously immersed in water, such as in hot tub covers, in floating docks, as supplemental flotation under boat seats, and for below-grade exterior building insulation constantly exposed to groundwater. Typically an exterior vapor barrier such as impermeable plastic sheeting or

2376-512: The curtain wall of the Sydney Opera House , the company's name was changed to Permasteelisa. This acquisition marks the start to international expansion, first into Singapore and Hong Kong , then to Japan , China , Thailand and Malaysia . In 1994, Permasteelisa acquired the Dutch company Scheldebouw B.V. and, in 2001, the German company Josef Gartner GmbH. At the end of the 1990s, the company entered

2430-430: The gut of superworms that contain encoded enzymes associated with the degradation of polystyrene and the breakdown product styrene. The bacterium Pseudomonas putida is capable of converting styrene oil into the biodegradable plastic PHA . This may someday be of use in the effective disposing of polystyrene foam. It is worthy to note the polystyrene must undergo pyrolysis to turn into styrene oil. Polystyrene

2484-471: The item being protected or as loose-fill "peanuts" cushioning fragile items inside boxes. EPS also has been widely used in automotive and road safety applications such as motorcycle helmets and road barriers on automobile race tracks . A significant portion of all EPS products are manufactured through injection molding. Mold tools tend to be manufactured from steels (which can be hardened and plated), and aluminum alloys. The molds are controlled through

2538-467: The molecules consist of thousands of atoms, the cumulative attractive force between the molecules is large. When heated (or deformed at a rapid rate, due to a combination of viscoelastic and thermal insulation properties), the chains can take on a higher degree of confirmation and slide past each other. This intermolecular weakness (versus the high intramolecular strength due to the hydrocarbon backbone) confers flexibility and elasticity. The ability of

2592-400: The most commonly available types of cladding for industrial and commercial projects. Their high durability and easy installation make them ideal for low maintenance builds. Cladding may also be a control element for noise , either entering or escaping. Cladding applied to windows is often referred to as window capping and is a specialized field. Between the cladding and the wall there is

2646-434: The polymerization, the carbon-carbon π bond of the vinyl group is broken and a new carbon-carbon σ bond is formed, attaching to the carbon of another styrene monomer to the chain. Since only one kind of monomer is used in its preparation, it is a homopolymer. The newly formed σ bond is stronger than the π bond that was broken, thus it is difficult to depolymerize polystyrene. About a few thousand monomers typically comprise

2700-649: The raw material for molding parts or extruding sheets. BASF and Stastny applied for a patent that was issued in 1949. The molding process was demonstrated at the Kunststoff Messe 1952 in Düsseldorf. Products were named Styropor. The crystal structure of isotactic polystyrene was reported by Giulio Natta . In 1954, the Koppers Company in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania, developed expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam under

2754-423: The rights to Munters's method and began producing a lightweight, water-resistant, and buoyant material that seemed perfectly suited for building docks and watercraft and for insulating homes, offices, and chicken sheds." In 1944, Styrofoam was patented. Before 1949, chemical engineer Fritz Stastny (1908–1985) developed pre-expanded PS beads by incorporating aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as pentane. These beads are

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2808-458: The system to be readily deformed above its glass transition temperature allows polystyrene (and thermoplastic polymers in general) to be readily softened and molded upon heating. Extruded polystyrene is about as strong as an unalloyed aluminium but much more flexible and much less dense (1.05 g/cm for polystyrene vs. 2.70 g/cm for aluminium). Polystyrene is an addition polymer that results when styrene monomers polymerize (interconnect). In

2862-523: The trade name Dylite. In 1960, Dart Container , the largest manufacturer of foam cups, shipped their first order. In chemical terms, polystyrene is a long chain hydrocarbon wherein alternating carbon centers are attached to phenyl groups (a derivative of benzene ). Polystyrene's chemical formula is (C 8 H 8 ) n ; it contains the chemical elements carbon and hydrogen . The material's properties are determined by short-range van der Waals attractions between polymer chains. Since

2916-474: Was also reported that superworms ( Zophobas morio ) may eat expanded polystyrene (EPS). A group of high school students in Ateneo de Manila University found that compared to Tenebrio molitor larvae, Zophobas morio larvae may consume greater amounts of EPS over longer periods of time. In 2022 scientists identified several bacterial genera, including Pseudomonas , Rhodococcus and Corynebacterium , in

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