Polystyrene Synthesis

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Polystyrene Synthesis

• Uyen Phuong Lam
• Chem 12B SP 2006
• Professor Adamczeski

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Abstract

• In this PowerPoint presentation I will introduce
  the properties of plastics and how it was
  synthesized, an introduction to polystyrene.  The
  first discovered polystyrene was attempted by a
  German pharmacist by the name Eduard Simon.  It
  was later when more chemists began to see the
  relationship between the polymer polystyrene
  produce plastic.  Plastic is very crucial to ours
  lives because of its unique characteristic and
  properties.  Even though plastic is everywhere
  and it seems like we have a mass production of
  it, we must look into what we can do to recycle
  plastic, because it does take a long time to
  decompose plastics, to help improve the polluted
  the environment.  There are many different types
  and levels of plastics.  We must know what it
  takes a very long time to completely decompose a
  plastic and therefore must recycle and be wise
  about using plastic products.  This presentation
  will focus on the synthesis and structures of
  plastics as well as their environmental
  ramifications.

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Outline

• What is a polymer?
• Define Polystyrene
• Polystyrene Discovered
• Synthesis of Polystyrene
• Usage of Polystyrene
• Environmental consequences
• Characteristics of Plastics

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Polymer

• Polymer something made of many units called
  monomers joined together. Polymers can be
  thought of as a chain. Each link of the chains
  is the -mer or the basic unit that is usually
  made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and/or silicon.
  To make the chain, many links of -mers are
  hooked or polymerized together.

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What does a polymer look like?

• At a macro scale level, it would look somewhat
  like a chain of paperclips

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Discoveries of Polystyrene

• 1839 first synthesize by German pharmacist,
  Eduard Simon. Simon isolated substance from
  natural resin however, he did not know what he
  had discovered.
• - Herman Staudinger, another German organic
  chemist relalize Simons discovery, comprised
  styrene molecules, was a plastic polymer.

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Synthesis of Polystyrene

• A. Polystyrene a plastic polymer made from
  monomer units of styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon
  that is commercially manufactured from petroleum,
  but can be melted at higher temperature for
  molding than resolidified.

The chemical reaction for the synthesis of
polystyrene is shown on top
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Synthesis of Polystyrene

• Before we can synthesize polystyrene, we must
  make its monomer styrene
• Direct catalytic dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene
  is the main manufacturing course of styrene

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Synthesis of Polystyrene

• Once styrene is produced, nearly 65 of it is
  then used to produce polystyrene. The overall
  reaction that describes the styrene
  polymerization is shown here.

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Usage of Polystyrene

• Once synthesize polystyrene must be cross-linked
  before it could produce plastic products.
• B. Usage of Polystyrene
• 1. Polypropylene auto parts, washing machine
  agitators, house wares
• 2. High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) milk
  bottles, pipes, shopping bags
• 3. Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) film for
  packaging
• 4. Polyethylene terephtalate (PET) packaging,
  soft drinks bottle

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Codes for Different Polystyrenes
Codes Common uses
Plastic soft drinks, waters. Ovenable
Milk, shampoo, medicine bottles
PVC pipes, window frame, cable insulation
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Usable Polystyrene
Code Common uses
Squeezable bottles, e.g. ketchup, honey.
Medicine, catsups bottles,
Egg cantons, plastic cup, plate, foam
3 or 5 gallons water bottle, plastic lumber application
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• DO recycle
• Soda, water, juice, food jars, milk, shampoo
  bottles

• DONT recycle
• Motor oil bottles, anti-freeze containers,
  gasoline and oil additive bottle
• Brown liquor Bottle
• All container with these marks

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• There a price that must be paid for the
  convenience we get from using disposable cuts,
  bowls, and Styrofoam.
• The waste product is detrimental to the
  environment.
• It takes 500 years for a Styrofoam cut to
  completely breakdown.

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Characteristic of Plastics

• Very resistant to chemical
• Both thermal and electrical insulator
• Very light weight with varying degrees of
  strength
• Can be processed in various ways to produce thin
  fibers of very intricate parts
• Lates updates No clear resolution to rising raw
  material prices in plastics.

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Bibliography

• 1. American Plastic Council ltwww.americanplasticsc
  ouncil.orggt
• The Plastic Today for the Technology Tomorrow
  ltww.polymerplastics.com/history_plastics.shtmlgt
• 3. Plastic Fabricators ltwww.plastic-fabricators.co
  mgt
• 4. Hollo Plastics Equipment, INC
  lthttp//www.holloplastics.com/plasticinfo/gt
• 5. Ask Science Theatre ltwww.pa.msu.edu/sciencet/
  ask_st/090193.htmlgt
• Chemical Engineering News Plastics. Volume 83,
  Number 37. September 12, 2005. Front Cover
• 7. Leung, Alfred B., Kwang I. Suh, and Rafat R.
  Ansari. "Particle-size and velocity measurements
  in flowing conditions using dynamic light
  scattering.(Author abstract)." Applied
  Optics 45.10 (April 1, 2006) 2186(5). Expanded
  Academic ASAP. Thomson Gale. CCL San Jose City
  College. 30 April 2006