styrofoam molding (3086-cp)

overview of styrofoam molding (3086-cp)

— the production of styrofoam molded products such as cups, plates & coolers often utilize ptfe molds for efficient high-speed manufacturing, due to their inherent heat resistance and non-stick properties. expanded polystyrene foam (epf) is a plastic material that has special properties due to its structure. composed of individual cells of low density polystyrene, epf is extraordinarily light and can support many times its own weight in water. because its cells are not interconnected, heat cannot travel through epf easily, so it is a great insulator. epf is used in flotation devices, insulation, egg cartons, flats for meat and produce, sandwich and hamburger boxes, coffee cups, plates, peanut packaging, and picnic coolers. although eps is generically called styrofoam, styrofoam™ is a trademark of dow chemical company and refers specifically to a type of hard, blue epf used mainly in boating. to make small-cell epf, workers then melt, add a blowing agent to, and extrude the beads. to produce smooth-skinned epf, they pre-expand the beads, dramatically reducing their density. next they heat and expand them before allowing them to sit for 24 hours so that they can cool and harden. the beads are then fed into a mold of the desired shape. these molds are commonly produced from ptfe rods and sheets for their non-stick properties.