The properties and technical characteristics of expanded polystyrene allow it to be used for a large number of applications. Among them the most common ones are those related to thermal insulation and mechanical resistance, although it wouldn’t be useful to pack food, if it wasn’t hygienic and inert.
Uses and applications in packing and packaging
Expanded polystyrene is a material that, due to its low weight and high resistance, is ideal for the manufacture of packaging for the various products of the electronic, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, chemical, artisanal, etc.
Expanded polystyrene packages are designed to fit perfectly into the product shape, combining various options of wall thickness, density and number of reinforcements.
On the other hand, the lightness of expanded polystyrene reduces transportation costs, labor and thanks to its resistance eliminates breakages, facilitating stowage, being able to withstand more than 1000 times its own weight.
The damping power of the expanded polystyrene allows it to absorb the energy produced by shocks and vibrations, preventing the packaged product from being damaged.
Products requiring temperature control, for example fish, can be packaged in expanded polystyrene as their multiple cells act as independent air chambers insulating it thermally.
The possibility of EPS being used for the protection, transport and marketing of food is due to the fact that it is a physiologically harmless material, which does not favor the growth of fungi and bacteria that cause organic decomposition, being also neutral odour and taste.
In addition, EPS can incorporate additives to avoid excessive electrostatic load by favouring its use in the electronics industry.
Uses and applications in the construction
The applications found by EPS in the construction are related to characteristics such as thermal and acoustic insulation. Whether for energy saving or comfort, the EPS has features that fulfill these functions very well.
Currently, in temperate and tropical climate countries, there is a tendency to build under efficient thermal insulation measures, as energy expenditure for building conditioning in warm seasons may be equivalent to or even higher than energy expenditure for heating in winter.
|
Products
|
Advantages
|
Properties
|
|---|---|---|
| Stackable food boxes. Heavy merchandise packaging | Pressure resistant packaging with good bending stiffness and stacking stability | Pressure resistance |
| Fragile merchandise packaging | Damping action calculable and therefore safe | High shock absorption capacity |
| Packaging and packaging for air transport | Tare low, invariable and in many cases it is not necessary to take it into account | Low weight: apparent density between 20 and 30 Kg / m3 |
| Boxes for frozen products | High thermal insulation capacity. It does not become fragile at low temperatures | Reduced thermal conductivity and cold inalterability |
| Containers of direct contact with food products | It has no contaminating element that affects the content | It does not allow the proliferation of fungi and bacteria |
| Packaging for complicated objects with non-flat surfaces | Versatile material, highly adaptable to the most complex shapes | Freedom of design in moldable parts |
| Thermal vessels | Maintains the temperature and effervescence of the liquids it contains | High insulating and gas conservation power in carbonated drinks |
