Polystyrene or Styrofoam is a common plastic used in food containers, insulation, and other products but has potential toxic effects on human health and the environment. Although, the use of polystyrene has substantially increased in the last ten years mostly in food packaging industry, foaming plastics are now replacing these toxic plastic types.
As the world is aiming to reduce plastic wastes as much as possible, use of polystyrene has been significantly targeted in modern research because it contains styrene which has adverse toxic effects causing a number of diseases. including cancer.
Here in this study we will review its potential harms to humans and environment and prospects of developing an alternate foaming plastics. These plastic type is less expensive and has no toxic effects.
Toxic Effects of Polystyrene on Human Health
Polystyrene is todays’ most commonly used plastic mainly in food packaging. Although there are relatively safer options available for food packaging, polystyrene use has significantly increased due to its cost and availability.
While this plastic type does not decompose naturally and can stay in the environment for sometimes 500 years, more and more strict regulations are being introduced prohibiting the use of polystyrene specifically. Moreover, this plastic type contains styrene, a substance which is linked to leukemia, lymphoma, cancer and certain other diseases.
Extensive studies have been conducted on the toxic effects of polystyrene on the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, nerves, intestines and other tissues.
We also have our detailed study on polystyrene and problems related to its recycling in our research. Please study.
Moreover, use of polystyrene in making lightweight concrete is widely practiced in the construction sector. We have a detailed study on sustainability of polystyrene waste for making lightweight concrete.
Polystyrene microplastics are some of the most common microplastic components, and the resulting pollution has become a global problem.
Toxicity of Polystyrene
To help address these challenges, the scientists are seeking a variety of innovative solutions to reduce the environmental burden of plastics. However, most particularly, polystyrene is non-biodegradable, accumulates in oceans and landfills, and contains styrene, a toxic chemical that can leach into food and water, particularly at high temperatures.
This toxicity has long prompted industries and researchers to seek better alternatives. But, while plastic coated paper products and solid reusable options have become popular, ecofriendly alternatives to polystyrene having the same low-density, thermal insulation and heat resistance are not widely available.
What is the Better Alternative to Polystyrene
The versatility and affordability of plastics have made them indispensable in most aspects of our lives in food packaging, healthcare, toys, automobile, electronics and many other consumer products. In particular, plastic packaging plays a crucial role in preserving food, extending shelf life and minimizing food waste.
However, as the scale of plastic production and consumption in our daily life has grown, many concerns about its environmental impacts have been raised on social and especially on government level.
Scientists have now introduced the methods to reduce the impact of polystyrene by replacing it with microcellular extrusion foaming.
What is Microcellular Extruded Foam
Microcellular extrusion foaming uses a combination of gas, polymer and heat to introduce microscopic bubbles into plastics, resulting in a structure that uses less material and is a better insulator. But while polystyrene can be foamed easily, non-toxic semi-crystalline polymers, such as polypropylene (PP) and polylactic acid (PLA), have a very narrow window of time in which they can be heated to form air pockets.
The primary component of these plastics is starch which comes mainly from corn. When combined with water and plasticizers (such as glycerol and sorbitol), starch can be heated and sheared to produce a biodegradable polymer known as thermoplastic starch, or TPS.
This process is used for creating new plastics products with microcellular foam. Currently, the major problem here is the production of this typical product at commercial levels as it requires typical machinery and is much more complicated than lab or pilot scale foaming.
There are broad prospects in production of microcellular foam by integrated production machinery, such as extruders and dies making microcellular extrusion foaming applicable to Polyproplene, as well as biodegradable materials including polylactic acid (PLA) and thermoplastic starch (TPS).
On the other hand this product reduces the environmental burden of plastics in their expansion-ratio. Expansion ratio is a measure of how much a material can expand when tiny bubbles are incorporated. This low-density recyclable Polypropylene foam has an expansion ratio up to 10, while a biodegradable PLA and TPS foam bear an expansion ratio up to 20 being significantly lighter with excellent thermal insulation properties.What are the Applications of Mollecular Extruded Foam
The microcellular foaming plastics are a renewable source, are biodegradable, and cost-effective making them excellent substitutes for any application using high volumes of disposable plastic, especially packaging, disposable utensils, protective packaging and films, and compostable films and bags. |
| Applications of Mollecular Extruded Foam |
In addition to the above, there is a co-extrusion foaming process that produces three-layered sheets, with a low-density foam core layer sandwiched between two solid skin layers, all in a single step. This process yields a smooth, cost-effective finished material that can be directly applied to various consumer and industrial products, such as food packaging and automotive parts.
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| Co-Extruded (3 Layered) Foaming |
The reduction in the amount of raw materials used in these foamed plastic cups also makes them cheaper to produce than conventional plastic cups.
Market Potential of Microcellular Extruded Foam
Marketing and sales potential of microcellular extrusion foaming technology extends far beyond food packaging. In the aerospace industry, where lightweight materials are critical, microcellular foams can provide a compelling alternative to heavier plastics. Foamed materials are prized for their high strength-to-weight ratio, making them potentially suitable for aircraft components where weight reduction results in significant fuel savings.
Similarly, in the building sector, microcellular foam plastics offer durable insulation materials that are recyclable and can be made from fire-resistant base materials. These provide an increasingly attractive alternative to existing non-recyclable insulation, as building regulations now a days focus more on sustainability.
The automotive industry could benefit too. Many car interior components today are manufactured using injection-moulded plastics, which are heavy and costly. By replacing these materials with microcellular foam plastics, where automakers could also reduce the weight of car interiors by 20%.
This can also be an attractive for electric vehicles, where the batteries are major heavy car component and any weight reduction can help to improve car efficiency. Lighter car components lead to greater energy savings, which is a key goal for electric vehicle manufacturers looking to extend the range of electric vehicles and reduce energy-related emissions.
Commercial-scale foaming production has been initiated in Taiwan which is a significant step toward realizing reduced plastic pollution. Similar facilities are forecasted across Asia, North America and Europe.
Conclusion
In the near future, plastics will likely remain indispensable in many aspects of our lives, but sustainable solutions such as microcellular foaming will support to reduce their negative environmental impacts.
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