Many everyday objects are formed from polystyrene, such as pens, electrical equipment, and toys. This diversity of form comes from a relatively uninspiring molecular structure—a long chain of carbon atoms, each attached to a ring of six carbon atoms known as a phenyl group. When expanded with a gas such as pentane or carbon dioxide, it forms a light, foamlike structure ideal for packaging and insulation.
The compound was first identified in 1839 by Eduard Simon of Berlin. He isolated an oily substance from tree resin that he named styrol, which, over time, thickened into a jelly. It was later discovered by Hermann Staudinger that the substance was a monomer, a type of molecule that, with heat, combines with others to create a plastic polymer. The polymerization process was joining together single units of the styrol to make a long chainlike molecule.
The material found few applications until 1930 when Carl Wuiff and Eugen Dorrer, working at BASF (under trust to 1. G. Farben), patented an economical method for manufacturing the compound from crude oil. They used a heated tube to draw the polystyrene from the reaction vessel as pellets. Small-scale manufacture began in 1931. Early polystyrenes were brittle, but practical plastics were soon forthcoming with the use of additives.
Expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam) came along in 1954. As a waterproof insulator, it found many uses, most familiarly for drinking cups and food packaging. Although economical, concerns have been raised about the environmental impact of expanded polystyrene, and bans of its use are in place in several territories. Diverse applications for polystyrene show no signs of slowing, and the plastic is used to build everything from houses to Xboxes.
