Chloe Zhang
Styrene is a chemical used as a building block to make materials used in a wide variety of finished consumer products, such as food containers, rubber tires, building insulation, and automobile parts. It is a clear, colorless, slightly oily liquid with a sweet floral scent in small quantities. It has several other names, including vinylbenzene, vinylbenzol, and ethenylbenzene. Styrene is used to make plastics such as polystyrene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and styrene-acrylonitrile resin (SAN).
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Other names | Polystyrene (PS), Oriented polystyrene (OPS), Styrofoam, Styrol oxide, Styrol, Meta styrol, High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) |
| Composition | A synthetic polymer made from monomers of the aromatic hydrocarbon styrene |
| State | Solid or foamed |
| Appearance | Clear, hard, brittle |
| Cost | Inexpensive resin per unit weight |
| Barrier properties | Poor barrier to air and water vapour |
| Melting point | Relatively low, around 100 °C |
| Optical properties | Naturally transparent to visible light, but can be coloured with colourants |
| Uses | Protective packaging, containers, lids, bottles, trays, tumblers, disposable cutlery, models, phonograph records, building materials, toys, electronics, food packaging |
| Reactivity | Reacts to heat, becoming a liquid at around 100 °C |
| Toxicity | Suspected toxin to the gastrointestinal tract, kidney, and respiratory system. Described as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen" by the US National Toxicology Program. |
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What You'll Learn
Polystyrene
The discovery of polystyrene can be traced back to 1839 when Eduard Simon, a Berlin apothecary, distilled an oily substance called styrol from storax, the resin of the Oriental sweetgum tree. Over time, this substance transformed into a jelly-like polymer, which Simon named "styrol oxide." In 1845, chemists John Buddle Blyth and August Wilhelm von Hofmann determined the empirical formula of styrene and renamed styrol oxide to "metastyrol." It was French chemist Marcellin Berthelot who, in 1866, correctly identified the formation of metastyrol/styroloxyd from styrol as a polymerisation process.
Despite the concerns surrounding polystyrene, it is important to note that it has been a widely used plastic for many years. Its production scale is in the millions of tonnes per year. The benefits of polystyrene, such as its versatility and affordability, have contributed to its prevalence. However, with growing awareness of the potential risks associated with its use, there have been calls for a ban on styrene and polystyrene plastics to protect human health and the environment.
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Vinylbenzene
Styrene plastic, also known as polystyrene, has several other names, including styrol, styrol oxide, styroloxyd, and metastyrol. Styrene is the basic building block of polystyrene, and it is used to create a wide range of consumer products, including food containers, rubber tires, insulation, and children's toys.
Other Names for Styrene Plastic
Styrene plastic, also known as polystyrene, has several other names. One of the earliest names given to this substance was "styrol" by Eduard Simon, a German apothecary who discovered it in 1839 by distilling the resin from the American sweetgum tree. Over time, styrol exposed to air, light, or heat would transform into a hard, rubber-like substance, which Simon called "styrol oxide."
In 1845, German chemist August Wilhelm von Hofmann and his student, John Buddle Blyth, renamed styrol oxide "metastyrol" after determining that it shared the same empirical formula as styrol. French chemist Marcellin Berthelot also played a significant role in the history of styrene. In 1866, he stated that metastyrol was a polymer of styrene, or in other words, polystyrene.
One of the other names for styrene is vinylbenzene. In 1845, French chemist Emil Kopp suggested that cinnamic acid, a component of storax, could be decarboxylated to form "cinnamene" or "cinnamol." Cinnamol appeared to be styrene, and in 1866, German chemist Emil Erlenmeyer proposed that both cinnamol and styrene might be vinylbenzene. However, there was ambiguity surrounding the nature of cinnamol until 1876, when Dutch chemist van 't Hoff clarified that the optical activity of styrene obtained from storax resin was due to a contaminant.
Health and Environmental Concerns
While styrene plastic has been a versatile material for various applications, there are growing concerns about its health and environmental impacts. Styrene has been described as a suspected toxin to the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, and respiratory system. The production and disposal of styrene-based plastics, such as polystyrene, expose workers and communities near production and disposal sites to toxic chemicals. Additionally, the use of chemical additives in polystyrene, such as phthalates and flame retardants, poses further health risks to consumers. These additives can migrate or leach out, contaminating indoor air, dust, drinking water, and food. As a result, there are increasing calls for banning styrene and polystyrene plastics to protect human health and the environment.
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Vinylbenzol
Styrene is a carcinogen made from other highly hazardous chemicals, benzene, and ethylbenzene. It is the basic building block of polystyrene, a type of thermoplastic. Polystyrene is used in food packaging, toys, electronics, and building materials. It comes in two forms: rigid and foam. The latter is commonly referred to as Styrofoam.
In 1835, Berlin-based apothecary Eduard Simon acquired styrax, the resin of the Oriental sweetgum tree (*Liquidambar orientalis*). He distilled a colourless liquid from the tree's resin, naming it styrol, now known as styrene. A few days later, he observed that the liquid had thickened into a jelly, which he named styrol oxide ("Styroloxyd"). In 1845, chemists John Buddle Blyth and August Wilhelm von Hofmann demonstrated that styrol transformed into the same jelly-like substance in the absence of oxygen. They called this substance "meta styrol". In 1866, Marcellin Berthelot correctly identified the formation of meta styrol/Styroloxyd from styrol as a polymerisation process.
Today, styrol is produced on a large scale, with the chemical industry producing approximately 25 million tons of it worldwide in 2010. It is a significant monomer used in the production of plastics and other polymers, contributing to the widespread use of polystyrene in various industries.
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Metastyrol
The history of polystyrene and its discovery by Eduard Simon in 1839 is quite interesting. Simon, an apothecary from Berlin, distilled an oily substance from storax, the resin of the Oriental sweetgum tree Liquidambar orientalis. He named this substance styrol, which later came to be known as styrene. A few days later, Simon observed that the styrol had transformed into a jelly-like substance, now known as a polymer, which he called styrol oxide or "Styroloxyd".
In 1845, Jamaican-born chemist John Buddle Blyth and German chemist August Wilhelm von Hofmann replicated Simon's discovery and found that the same transformation of styrol occurred even in the absence of oxygen. Their product was given the name "meta styrol", which was later identified as polystyrene by Marcellin Berthelot in 1866.
Today, polystyrene is widely used due to its low cost, transparency, and stiffness. However, it has come under scrutiny for its negative environmental and health impacts. Polystyrene production relies on dirty fossil fuels and massive energy consumption, contributing to climate change. Additionally, the disposal of polystyrene poses challenges as it is not biodegradable due to its complex chemical structure.
Despite these concerns, some companies like meta-technik offer modified versions of metastyrol® with improved properties, such as good impact resistance, high dimensional stability, and rigidity. These modified versions aim to address the limitations of standard polystyrene, such as its brittleness and moderate UV resistance.
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Styrol oxide
Styrene, a precursor to polystyrene, is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5CH=CH2. It is a colorless, oily liquid with a sweet smell, though aged samples may appear yellowish. Styrene is considered a carcinogen and is hazardous to human health.
In 1839, German apothecary Eduard Simon isolated styrene from storax, the resin of the American sweetgum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua). He named the liquid "styrol", which later came to be known as styrene. Simon observed that when styrol was exposed to air, light, or heat, it transformed into a hard, rubber-like substance, which he called "styrol oxide" ("Styroloxyd"), assuming it was the result of oxidation. However, in 1845, German chemist August Wilhelm von Hofmann and his student, John Buddle Blyth, determined that styrol oxide, which they renamed "metastyrol", had the same empirical formula as styrene. They found that styrene could be obtained by dry-distilling metastyrol.
Styrene oxide, also known as styrene epoxide, is considered toxic, mutagenic, and possibly carcinogenic. It is formed in the human body through the oxidation of styrene by cytochrome P450. Styrene oxide has two enantiomers, (R)-styrene oxide and (S)-styrene oxide, which exhibit different toxicokinetics and toxicity. Animal studies suggest that the (R)-enantiomer is more toxic than the (S)-enantiomer, particularly in mice.
Styrene and polystyrene have a wide range of applications. Polystyrene is used in packaging materials, containers, lids, bottles, trays, disposable cutlery, and the fabrication of various objects. Styrene is also used in the production of copolymers, such as polymer-bonded explosives and elastomer-modified styrene-butadiene copolymers. However, due to the health risks associated with styrene and polystyrene, there have been calls for a ban on their use and production.
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Frequently asked questions
Styrene plastic is also known as polystyrene. It is a synthetic polymer made from styrene, which is a clear, colorless, slightly oily liquid. Styrene occurs naturally in small quantities in some plants and foods such as cinnamon, coffee beans, and peanuts. It has a sweet floral scent in small quantities but can have a less pleasant odor in higher concentrations. Some other names for styrene include:
- Vinylbenzene
- Vinylbenzol
- Cinnamol
- Metastyrol
Polystyrene is used in a wide variety of consumer products due to its versatility, lightweight, durability, and cost-effectiveness. It is commonly used in food packaging, containers, lids, bottles, trays, tumblers, disposable cutlery, and protective packaging. It is also used in building materials, automobile parts, computer casings and components, and rubber tires.
Styrene and polystyrene pose several health risks, particularly to workers involved in their processing and production. Exposure to styrene can occur through inhalation of fumes or direct contact with the skin, eyes, or ingestion. Inhalation of styrene fumes can irritate the throat and nose, causing coughing, wheezing, and other respiratory symptoms. Prolonged exposure can lead to a condition known as styrene sickness, characterized by dizziness, confusion, weakness, headaches, tiredness, nausea, and vomiting. Additionally, there are concerns about the potential carcinogenic effects of styrene, with some studies suggesting a possible association with degenerative disorders of the nervous system and pancreatic cancer.
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