Top 7 Industrial Uses Of Styrofoam and Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)
Eps and Styrofoam have a large number of industrial applications in today's world and are used widely due to their physical properties as well as cost-effectiveness. Read on to know more about how it is used and how it should be responsibly disposed of.
1. Styrofoam And Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) In The Construction Industry
Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) and Styrofoam both offer the right combination of mechanical, thermal and physical properties which makes them ideal for use within the construction industry.
EPS and Styrofoam provide scope and flexibility to both developers and architects alike with their excellent thermal performance and compressive strength while also offering longevity and sustainable green credentials in the form of energy saving.
Expanded polystyrene (EPS) and Styrofoam are high performing, extremely cost effective modern construction materials. Both have outstanding thermal capabilities being rated A+ BRE and when compared to other insulation materials it is easier to handle and fast to install. The compressive strength of EPS and Styrofoam is exceptional thus making it the choice material for both large and small scale construction and civil engineering work.
Some of the main construction applications are for Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs), Cavity Wall Insulation, Flooring under slabs and Void filler.
2. EPS And Styrofoam Use In The Pharmaceutical Industry
Reliable thermal packaging and transportation trays are an important part of the pharmaceutical industry. Expanded Polystyrene or Styrofoam coolers and trays are ideal as they tackle the stringent needs of the industry and its supply line.
The transport of pharmaceutical products requires an efficient approach compared to other standard goods. The insulation properties and high strength to weight ratio of EPS make it perfect for the task. Many medicines including the Covid 19 vaccine are sensitive in nature and good temperature controlled packaging is necessary to make sure that their contents remain viable and safe until they reach their destination.
Styrofoam and EPS are also used to make trays for fragile medical equipment like blood vacutainers and test tubes that need extra protection when being transported. This minimises damage. To make trays with a large capacity the walls must be narrow but strong between vials to securely hold them. Small bead expanded polystyrene is used in their manufacture. A good strength to weight ratio and high energy absorption make it the ideal material for cushioning impacts.
3. Expanded Polystyrene And Styrofoam In The Automotive Industry
The Automobile industry has been incorporating more and more EPS and Styrofoam into vehicles, especially cars. Its light structure helps reduce the overall weight of the vehicle by kilos when compared to other plastics previously used. This results in better fuel efficiency.
Apart from its weight, it helps bring down build costs as well. Parts previously made in plastic cost much more to manufacture than Styrofoam alternatives.
Some uses for EPS in vehicles include front and rear bumper cores, roof padding and lining, building prototypes for seating, headrests and lining for battery housing.
4. Styrofoam And EPS In The Packaging Industry
The packaging industry is another big consumer of Styrofoam or EPS primarily in the electronics segment. Thanks to its high shock absorption and firm build it is especially useful for the transport of fragile electronic goods such as TVs and laptops. Styrofoam helps keep the products in place when in their cartons and also protects the goods from damage, particularly during transport. This industry also uses Expanded Polystyrene in the form of puff beads or packaging peanuts to ship smaller fragile items that do not come with Styrofoam protection in their cartons.
Today’s packaging is increasingly focused on tailor made solutions for companies and their products. Custom packing helps reduce damage and create a more sustainable supply chain. Such packaging can also be returned to companies if they accept it, to be reused thereby reducing waste.
5. Expanded Polystyrene and Styrofoam In The Food Industry
The excellent thermal performance of Expanded Polystyrene and Styrofoam boxes is perfect for companies that ship large quantities of fresh produce over long distances which the fish transport and processing industry and even butchers can take advantage of. Fish, meat and veg remain fresh and safe for consumption during storage and transport.
If not for cheaply available Styrofoam boxes shipping meat and fish would be a considerably difficult task as the closest alternative to such boxes is to use freezers for storage and refrigerated transport to ship them. Using these systems will cost more and are less sustainable in the long run.
6. Styrofoam And EPS For Seating
Although this industry is not commonly known as being a big consumer of expanded polystyrene, it is used extensively for seating applications and is also integrated with other parts to help reduce weight.
In seats, it adds structural strength, improves crash performance by reducing damage to passengers and helps in massive weight reduction. Where extra strength is required other materials can be inserted within the mould.
Automotive seating, Lightweight aircraft seating, Horse saddle padding and Aircraft seat tray in-fills are some of the more popular uses.
7. Few Other Uses Of Industrial Styrofoam And Expanded Polystyrene
Some other military and civilian products also use expanded polystyrene. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs and Drones) and other model aircraft use EPS under their main shell, this reduces weight and therefore saves fuel allowing them to travel further. Manufacturers of mannequins also use EPS as the base covered by a plastic shell.
Egg and reptile incubators and hot tub covers also use Styrofoam panels inside for their thermal qualities.
Architects and designers often use EPS to make displays and exhibition models because it can be sculpted easily and is also lightweight making them convenient to transport and set up. Model railway accessories for landscapes and Staging sets made for film and theatre also make use of the durability and customisability of expanded polystyrene.
The decoration industry is another consumer of EPS and Styrofoam. It is used for various events especially weddings for setting the stage and to spruce up the decor of the venue, even the display sign featuring the couple's names is often made with letters cut out of expanded polystyrene.
Responsible Disposal Of Expanded Polystyrene And Styrofoam Waste
Since industries are the biggest consumers of Styrofoam and EPS, they need to take the biggest steps to responsibly deal with the excess and scrap EPS they generate and stop it from going to landfills or becoming environmental pollution.
Styrofoam is slow to degrade taking 100s of years, but the good news is, it is 100 per cent recyclable, Unfortunately, that is not done and roughly only 1 per cent is recycled. Most of it goes to landfills where it takes up large volumes of space.
EPS can be efficiently recovered and recycled especially when done at sources that generate large amounts of scrap. EPS that comes from electronic and food packaging waste for example is an ideal source for recovery schemes. Large stores like Carrefour and Walmart create large amounts of scrap from the electronics used, in-store displays and the transport of fresh produce which gets emptied into freezers or chillers respectively.
To recycle expanded polystyrene it has to be in clean condition. Most recyclers do clean it on-site. The recycling of EPS can be done only at specialised facilities like Green Theory’s site in the Middle East. It cannot be done at regular plastic recycling facilities.
Look for city EPS drop-off sites or your closest recycling facility to dispose of Styrofoam and EPS waste properly.
If you are located in the Middle East, Contact Green Theory waste management solutions and they will help you with your EPS and Styrofoam recycling needs. They will even pick up large quantities at your location at no cost to you thus saving you time, floor space and disposal fees.
