The difference between EPS fire resistance grades A, B, and B1:

1. Fire resistance coefficient: Class A is non combustible; Level B is further divided into three levels, with B1, B2, and B3 having different levels of combustion.
2. Flammability: Class A has zero flammability;, B1 is flame retardant, B2 is flammable, and B3 is flammable.
   At present, the common A-grade products in the market include phenolic aldehyde, rock wool, insulation mortar, foam ceramics, foam glass, and foam concrete. At present, the most advantageous A-grade material is foamed concrete, also known as foamed cement.
   EPS polystyrene board itself is a flammable material, so it is not a fireproof material in terms of fire rating. So it’s not at all A-level or B1 level. The fire resistance rating of polystyrene boards on the market is only B2 (flammable) and B3 (flammable).
   Extended Information:
   EPS physical and mechanical properties:
3. Density
   The density of EPS is determined by the expansion ratio of polystyrene particles during the forming stage, which is generally between 10 and 45kg/m3. As EPS used in engineering, its apparent density is generally between 15 and 30kg/m3.
   At present, the density of EPS used as lightweight filling material in road engineering is 20kg/m3, which is 1% to 2% of that of ordinary road filling material. Density is an important indicator of EPS, and its mechanical properties are almost directly proportional to its density.
4. Deformation characteristics
   When the confining pressure exceeds 60KPa, the yield strength significantly decreases, which is clearly different from the variation law of the soil. When axial strain ε When a ≤ 5%, regardless of the confining pressure, the volumetric strain ε V is close to axial strain ε a. The lateral deformation of EPS is small, which means the Poisson’s ratio is small.
   To minimize post construction settlement, after laying the EPS material layer, fill 1.2m of soil on it for preloading. The average compressive settlement of the EPS material layer is 32mm, and it can be calculated that the elastic modulus of EPS is 2.4MPa, and the EPS material is still in the elastic deformation stage.
5. Self-reliance
   The self-sustaining nature of EPS is very beneficial for the stability of high slopes. Due to the small lateral pressure generated by the vertical compression of EPS, the use of EPS as filling material for the roadbed at the bridge head can greatly reduce the soil pressure behind the abutment, which is very beneficial for the stability of the abutment.
   The friction coefficient f between EPS block and sand is 0.58 (dense)~0.46 (loose) for dry sand and 0.52 (dense)~0.25 (loose) for wet sand; The range of f between EPS blocks is between 0.6 and 0.7.
6. Water and temperature characteristics
   The closed cavity structure of EPS determines its good insulation performance. Its biggest characteristic when used as insulation material is its extremely low thermal conductivity, with various specifications of EPS boards having thermal conductivity ranging from 0.024W/m.K to 0.041W/m.K. EPS is a thermoplastic resin that should be used below 70 ℃ to avoid thermal deformation and strength reduction.
   Simultaneously utilizing this feature, electric heating wire processing can be used. Flame retardants can be added in production to form flame retardant EPS. Flame retardant EPS extinguishes itself within 3 seconds after leaving the ignition source. Due to the much lower bulk density of EPS compared to soil, the 1% to 10% increase in bulk density caused by water absorption can have negligible impact on engineering.
7. Durability
   EPS has stable chemical properties in water and soil, and cannot be decomposed by microorganisms; The cavity structure of EPS also makes water infiltration extremely slow; If exposed to ultraviolet radiation for a long time, the surface of EPS will change from white to yellow, and the material will appear brittle to some extent; EPS has stable properties in most solvents, but can be dissolved in organic solvents such as gasoline, diesel, kerosene, toluene, acetone, etc. This indicates that EPS fillers require a good protective layer.
   
   Reference Source: JUNYUAN PETROLEUM GROUP – EPS Blowing Agent Department (Folystyrene Foam)

Expandable polystyrene (EPS)

Revolutionary patented polystyrene production method

Expandable polystyrene (EPS) consists of polystyrene micro-pellets or beads containing a blowing agent and other additives for foaming. We have developed a continuous production process in which the blowing agent is directly injected into the melt, combined with subsequent underwater pelletization.

Commercial EPS is manufactured with the addition of a blowing agent, typically a chlorinated hydrocarbon or a low-boiling petroleum-derived agent with the presence of pentane. These substances are highly flammable; by reducing the amount of flame retardant due to the addition of gypsum, they ignited during the flame propagation test, increasing the burn rate of the GPS.

Main benefits

• The patented EPS process is economical, compact, and easy to operate
• Continuous process for consistent product quality
• Dispersing a wide range of additives and pigments is possible
• Minimized waste production
• Reduction of wastewater and process water
• Recycling possibility for waste EPS pellets/beads/foam
• Process allows developing innovative applications

Main applications

• Expandable Polystyrene

EPS Panel

The self-extinguishing, fire-retardant EPS Panel foam is manufactured from 100% virgin bead and oven-cured after manufacture to ensure the resulting blocks are completely dry and free from all residual pentane.

EPS Panel is a lightweight, CFC-free, non-brittle, closed cell insulator with more consistent thermal performance over time. It has a high dimensional stability and low water vapor transmission.

A special chemical coated to the Expanded Polystyrene beads (raw material) distinguished it from standard/common EPS Panel. Fire-Retardant EPS Panel is a self-extinguishing, non-combustible material.

Fire-retardant EPS Panel with a density of 15 kg/m3 is used for clean rooms, food processing facilities and modular buildings, while the 20 kg/m3 is used for industrial and commercial cold storage.

Core

Width (cover mm)
Thickness (mm)
Length
Exterior Facing Skin
Internal Facing Skin
Standard Colors
Joint System
Finishes
Type of SkinEPS
(Expanded Polystyrene)
1,160
50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 200, 250
Up to 12 meters
0.5mm, 0.6mm G300 CRP Steel
0.5mm, 0.6mm G300 CRP Steel
Off White
Slip Joint
Plain, Ribbed, Diamond
Anti Bacterial (AB)
Food Grade (FG)
Xterior Roof and Wall (XRW)

Features and Advantages

• Fire retardant
• Meets safety requirements
• Energy saving
• Longer lifetime
• Resistant to termites and rodents
• Customized design
• Easy to install saving cost of installation time
• High performance on insulated panel

• Blowing agent
  Blowing agent plays a fundamental role in the production of polystyrene (PS), polyurethane (PU) and polyisocyanurate (PIR) insulations foam. A small quantity of blowing agent indirectly provides important performance characteristics to these foams as great thermal insulation properties.
• Pentane :
  Pentane is a hydrocarbon solvent coming directly from the natural gas and crude oil. The product is separated from the other alkanes in an oil refinery by fractional distillation and isomerisation. This gas is one of the most volatile liquid alkane at ambient temperature. It is also used as a solvent that can evaporate quickly and easily.

Polystyrene is a versatile plastic used to make a wide variety of consumer products. As a hard, solid plastic, it is often used in products that require clarity, such as food packaging and laboratory ware. When combined with various colorants, additives or other plastics, polystyrene is used to make appliances, electronics, automobile parts, toys, gardening pots and equipment and more.

Polystyrene also is made into a foam material, called expanded polystyrene (EPS) or extruded polystyrene (XPS), which is valued for its insulating and cushioning properties. Foam polystyrene can be more than 95 percent air and is widely used to make home and appliance insulation, lightweight protective packaging, surfboards, foodservice and food packaging, automobile parts, roadway and roadbank stabilization systems and more.

Polystyrene is made by stringing together, or polymerizing, styrene, a building-block chemical used in the manufacture of many products. Styrene also occurs naturally in foods such as strawberries, cinnamon, coffee and beef.

Uses & Benefits
Polystyrene in Appliances
Refrigerators, air conditioners, ovens, microwaves, vacuum cleaners, blenders – these and other appliances often are made with polystyrene (solid and foam) because it is inert (doesn’t react with other materials), cost-effective and long-lasting.

Polystyrene in Automotive
Polystyrene (solid and foam) is used to make many car parts, including knobs, instrument panels, trim, energy absorbing door panels and sound dampening foam. Foam polystyrene also is widely used in child protective seats.

Polystyrene in Electronics
Polystyrene is used for the housing and other parts for televisions, computers and all types of IT equipment, where the combination of form, function and aesthetics are essential.

Polystyrene in Foodservice
Polystyrene foodservice packaging typically insulates better, keeps food fresher longer and costs less than alternatives.

Polystyrene in Insulation
Lightweight polystyrene foam provides excellent thermal insulation in numerous applications, such as building walls and roofing, refrigerators and freezers, and industrial cold storage facilities. Polystyrene insulation is inert, durable and resistant to water damage.

Polystyrene in Medical
Due to its clarity and ease of sterilization, polystyrene is used for a wide range of medical applications, including tissue culture trays, test tubes, petri dishes, diagnostic components, housings for test kits and medical devices.

Polystyrene in Packaging
Polystyrene (solid and foam) is widely used to protect consumer products. CD and DVD cases, foam packaging peanuts for shipping, food packaging, meat/poultry trays and egg cartons typically are made with polystyrene to protect against damage or spoilage.

Safety Information
In the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) strictly regulates all food packaging materials, including polystyrene. All food packaging – glass, aluminum, paper and plastics (such as polystyrene) – contains substances that can “migrate” in very tiny amounts to foods or beverages. That’s one of the reasons why FDA regulates food packaging in the first place – to be confident that the amount of substances that might actually migrate is safe.

For every material used in food contact, there must be sufficient scientific information to demonstrate that its use is safe. FDA’s safety evaluations focus on three factors:

Material(s) used in the packaging,
Cumulative exposure to substances that may migrate into foods and beverages, and
Safe levels of that exposure.
Tiny amounts of styrene may remain in polystyrene following manufacture, so FDA has evaluated both the safety of the food contact material itself (polystyrene) and the safety of the substance that may migrate (styrene). The result of these evaluations: FDA for decades has determined that polystyrene is safe for use in contact with food.

The U.S. National Toxicology Program Director Dr. Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., was quoted widely in Associated Press reports in June 2011: “Let me put your mind at ease right away about Styrofoam … [the levels of styrene from polystyrene containers] are hundreds if not thousands of times lower than have occurred in the occupational setting…In finished products, certainly styrene is not an issue.”

In 2013, the Plastics Foodservice Packaging Group provided updated styrene migration data to FDA. The data show that current exposures to styrene from the use of polystyrene food contact products remain extremely low, with the estimated daily intake calculated at 6.6 micrograms per person per day. This is more than 10,000 times below the safety limit set by FDA (FDA’s acceptable daily intake value of styrene is calculated to be 90,000 micrograms per person per day).

Polystyrene Safety in Food Packaging
FDA has for decades stated that polystyrene is safe for use in contact with food. The European Commission/European Food Safety Authority and other regulatory agencies have reached similar conclusions.
Polystyrene foodservice packaging can help reduce food-borne illness in homes, hospitals, schools, nursing homes, cafeterias and restaurants.
Polystyrene foodservice packaging is preferred by the foodservice industry because it works better than alternatives. Hot foods stay hot, cold foods stay cold, and fresh foods stay fresh. From organic salads to spicy chili, polystyrene packaging offers more convenience and dining enjoyment for people on the go.
Polystyrene foodservice packaging generally is more economical – wholesale costs can be up to five times less than paper-based or reusable counterparts (reusable containers require extra equipment, labor, water, electricity, detergent, etc.).
Commonly used cups, plates and sandwich containers made of foam polystyrene use significantly less energy and water than comparable paper-based or corn-based alternatives, primarily due to foam polystyrene’s much lower weight.

Answering Questions
What do public health organizations say about polystyrene foodservice packaging?
Public health officials encourage the use of sanitary, single-use foodservice packaging (such as polystyrene) in appropriate settings. Single-use foodservice packaging can help reduce food-borne illness in homes, hospitals, schools, nursing homes, cafeterias and restaurants.

What do regulatory agencies say about the safety of polystyrene foodservice packaging?
In the United States, FDA strictly regulates all food packaging materials, including polystyrene. FDA has for decades stated that polystyrene is safe for use in contact with food. The European Commission/European Food Safety Authority and other regulatory agencies have reached similar conclusions.

What do scientific experts say about the safety of polystyrene foodservice packaging?
From 1999 to 2002, a 12-member international expert panel selected by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis conducted a comprehensive review of potential health risks associated with workplace and environmental exposure to styrene.

The scientists reviewed all of the published data on the quantity of styrene contributed to the diet due to migration from food contact packaging. The scientists concluded that there is no cause for concern from exposure to styrene from food or from polystyrene used in food contact applications, such as packaging and foodservice containers.

Is it common for substances from packaging to “migrate” into food?
All packaging – glass, aluminum, paper and plastics (such as polystyrene) – contains substances that can “migrate” in very tiny amounts to foods or beverages. That’s one of the reasons why FDA regulates food packaging in the first place – to be confident that the amount of substances that might actually migrate is safe.

Test data submitted to FDA indicated that the migration of styrene from polystyrene foodservice products is tiny and expected to be significantly below the safety limits set by FDA itself – 10,000 times less than FDA’s acceptable daily intake level.

Where does styrene come from?
Styrene occurs naturally in many foods and beverages. Its chemical structure is similar to cinnamic aldehyde, the chemical component that creates cinnamon’s flavor. Styrene also is manufactured as a building block for materials used to make automobiles, electronics, boats, recreational vehicles, toys and countless other consumer products.

How can people come into contact with styrene?
People can come into contact with styrene from the small amounts that may be present in air (primarily from automobile exhaust and cigarette smoke) and in foods and packaging. Styrene is naturally present in many foods, such as cinnamon, beef, coffee beans, peanuts, wheat, oats, strawberries and peaches. In addition, FDA has approved styrene as a food additive – it can be added in small amounts to baked goods, frozen dairy products, candy, gelatins, puddings and other food.

What is Styrofoam made of?
Many people incorrectly use the name STYROFOAM® to refer to polystyrene in food service; STYROFOAM® is a registered trademark of The Dow Chemical Company that refers to its branded building material products.

What are styrene uses?
For more than 70 years, styrene has been used as a chemical building block to make the materials used in a wide variety of finished consumer products, such as food containers, rubber tires, building insulation, carpet backing and boat hulls, surfboards, residential kitchen countertops, bathtubs and shower enclosures.

What is the difference between styrene and polystyrene?
The difference is chemistry. Styrene is a liquid that can be chemically linked to create polystyrene, a solid plastic that displays different properties. Polystyrene is used to make a variety of consumer products, such as foodservice containers, cushioning for shipping delicate electronics and insulation.

What is extruded polystyrene foam?
Extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam is a rigid insulation that has also formed with polystyrene polymer, but manufactured using an extrusion process. This type of insulation can significantly reduce a building’s energy use and help control indoor temperature.

What’s the difference between styrene and polystyrene? Although the names sound familiar, styrene and polystyrene are different and have completely different properties.

Styrene is a liquid that can be chemically linked to create polystyrene, a solid plastic that displays different properties. Polystyrene is used to make a variety of consumer products, such as foodservice containers, cushioning for shipping delicate electronics and insulation.

Polystyrene’s safety profile is so strong that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reviewed the safety of polystyrene used in direct contact with foods and beverages – and for 50 years, has confirmed polystyrene to be safe for this use

Two different chemistries

Polystyrene
The Basics: When styrene molecules are linked together into a polymer, polystyrene is created. Polystyrene is an inert plastic that can be used to make many products, such as disposable plates, cups and other foodservice packaging products.
How It’s Used: Polystyrene is used in many applications. One application is foodservice – polystyrene foam is a clean and affordable option to insulate food and to keep it fresher for a longer period of time. Polystyrene foam is a lightweight material, about 95 percent air, with good insulation properties. It is used in many types of products, such as cups that keep your beverages hot or cold. Polystyrene foam also is used in cushioning or protective packaging that helps keep computers and appliances safe during shipping. Many people incorrectly use the name STYROFOAM® to refer to polystyrene in food service; STYROFOAM® is a registered trademark of The Dow Chemical Company that refers to its branded building material products.
Styrene
The Basics: Styrene is a clear, colorless liquid that is a component of materials used to make thousands of everyday products. Styrene occurs naturally in many foods, such as cinnamon, beef, coffee beans, peanuts, wheat, oats, strawberries and peaches. Synthetic styrene, which is chemically identical to naturally occurring styrene, is manufactured as a chemical building block for materials used to make packaging, insulation, automobiles, electronics, boats and recreational vehicles.
How It’s Used: For more than 70 years, styrene has been used as a chemical building block to make the materials used in a wide variety of finished consumer products, such as food containers, rubber tires, building insulation, carpet backing and boat hulls, surfboards, residential kitchen countertops, bathtubs and shower enclosures. Styrene is not only polymerized to make polystyrene plastic, but also to make the ABS plastic used in children’s building bricks, and SBR rubber used to make tires, along with many other applications.

Exclusive news: annual output of 1 million tons of polystyrene project settled in Zhoushan
The Management Committee of marine industry cluster zone of Zhoushan archipelago new area of Zhejiang Province and Zhejiang Yisu New Material Technology Co., Ltd. signed a project investment agreement. The new material project with a total investment of 2 billion yuan and an estimated annual output value of 10 billion yuan was officially settled in Zhoushan. The new material project with an annual output of 1 million tons of polystyrene, with a total investment of 2 billion yuan, is expected to use 130000 square meters of land. The project will be constructed in two phases. The first phase is planned to start construction next month, and is expected to start trial production in August next year, with an annual output of 400000 tons of polystyrene; the second phase is planned to start construction in October next year and complete in October 2022. The annual sales volume of the two phases can reach 10 billion yuan.

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Expandable Polystyrene Beads The foam pattern is formed from expandable beads (commonly polystyrene) which contain pentane (5-7 wt%) as a blowing/expansion agent. The raw EPS beads (EPS= expandable polystyrene) are delivered at a density of about 38 #/cubic foot in a wide range of initial sizes (10 to 80 mils diameter)

Expandable Polystyrene / EPS: This is PS Foam that uses Pentane gas (C5H12) as the blowing agent. During the material production process called “Polymerisation” the polystyrene resin granules impregnated with the blowing agent. EPS production processes begin in the pre-expansion process where the EPS bead will expand by the heat of steam.