Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : History of Polystyrene

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Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Polystyrene Accident Sparked Plastic Evolution

From its accidental discovery in a German apothecary shop in 1839 to becoming one of the world's most versatile and widely produced plastics, polystyrene has shaped modern manufacturing, packaging, and consumer goods for more than a century.



Recognized for its remarkable combination of clarity, rigidity, and cost-effectiveness, polystyrene has evolved through scientific breakthroughs, industrial innovations, and changing market demands to maintain its position as a cornerstone material across multiple industries.


According to the Styrene Insulation Industry website, polystyrene products are widely used in daily life and industries due to the unique properties of the material. Sought after for its excellent compressive strength, polystyrene offers a high degree of moldability that makes it versatile across numerous applications.


The history:

Polystyrene was discovered in 1839 by Eduard Simon, an apothecary from Berlin, Germany. According to ScienceHistory.org, the implications of this discovery would not be recognized until later, when Hermann Staudinger realized that Simon's material was, in fact, a polymer.


In 1922, Staudinger published his discoveries, noting the similarities between natural rubbers and polystyrene, which were also composed of monomers. These findings would ultimately earn him the Nobel Prize in 1953.

While Staudinger and other scientists would establish the foundation for the development of polystyrene, the material wouldn't be ready for use until 1931.


In the 1930s, three companies were involved in the commercial production of polystyrene: IG Farben (Germany), BASF (Germany), and Dow Chemical (US). The initial commercial production by BASF in the 1930s, followed by the development of expanded polystyrene in the 1950s, paved the way for its use in insulation, packaging, and food containers, according to theinventors.org.


BASF, originally the Badische Anilin- & Sodafabrik, made its most significant polystyrene innovation with the invention of Styropor, an expanded polystyrene foam, by Fritz Stastny in 1949.


The broader commercialization of polystyrene involved the IG Farben trust, which in 1930 included #BASF. IG Farben itself was formed in 1925 from a merger of six chemical companies, including Agfa, BASF, Bayer, Griesheim-Elektron, Hoechst, and Weilerter-Meer.


According to theinventors.org, in 1937, #DowChemical introduced polystyrene to the US market. In the 1940s, Ray McIntire, a Dow scientist, accidentally invented foamed #polystyrene (which would become Styrofoam) while searching for a flexible electrical insulator during World War II. The material was patented in 1944, and in 1947, Dow filed a patent on its adaptation of the foaming method.


source : David Hutton-Plastics Today

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