polystyrene

[ pol-ee-stahy-reen, -steer-een ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a clear plastic or stiff foam, a polymer of styrene, used chiefly as an insulator in refrigerators and air conditioners.

polystyrene

/ ˌpɒlɪˈstaɪriːn /

noun

1. a synthetic thermoplastic material obtained by polymerizing styrene; used as a white rigid foam ( expanded polystyrene ) for insulating and packing and as a glasslike material in light fittings and water tanks

polystyrene

/ pŏl′ē-stī′rēn /

1. A brittle synthetic polymer composed of repeated styrene units. Polystyrene is transparent and rigid because the benzene rings in each styrene unit prevent the polystyrene chains from arranging themselves into a tight crystalline structure. Polystyrene has a wide variety of uses, especially as a solid foam for insulation and packaging.

Word History and Origins

Origin of polystyrene¹

First recorded in 1925–30; poly- + styrene

Example Sentences

In particular, the combustible polystyrene insulation on its walls.

From BBC

If the products are contaminated with other plastics, such as PVC or polystyrene, the outcome isn’t good.

From Los Angeles Times

The new plastic required 97 percent fewer carbon emissions than polystyrene plastics.

From Salon

Engineers have modelled a new way to recycle polystyrene that could become the first viable way of making the material reusable.

From Science Daily

Explained in a new research paper published in the Chemical Engineering Journal, the technique uses a chemical process called pyrolysis to break down polystyrene into parts which can be reformed into new pieces of the material.

From Science Daily