Expanded & Extruded Thermocole Sheets – Processing, Attributes & Applications

Polystyrene foam is one of the most commonly used materials in daily life without our being aware of the fact. Food trays, foam cups, toys, coolers are only a few from the wider range of polystyrene products that find frequent use to meet our everyday needs. These are all visible applications of polystyrene materials but beyond that, these are also extensively used for construction and insulation purposes and in floatation devices as well. Polystyrene foam is of two types depending on their manufacturing process, contributing to slightly different attributes of these two varieties when it comes to structural makeup. These two are EPS or expanded polystyrene foam and XPS or extruded polystyrene foam. An important point should find a mention in this context that both of these polystyrene products are often called Styrofoam. But this is wrong as Styrofoam is specific polystyrene foam produced and patented by Dow Chemical Company and never refers to the entire range of such materials. How EPS is processed? Polystyrene in its expanded form is predominantly used for our multipurpose requirements. Processing of EPS is done through polymerization. Due to application of steam and heat, the minuscule beads undergo chemical reaction. Steam and heat are applied until these beads fuse together to create a solid structure of thermocole sheets made of tiny pellets. There are many variations of EPS and depending on quality, it can be 98% airy, a character resulting from expansion. Both EPS and XPS can be transformed into large blocks and sheets to form a wide range of packaging materials or molded into curved shape like what is used for drinking cups. Both foam types find multipurpose applications in industry as well as domestic units but difference in processing, which results into their unique characteristics make them best suited for specific requirements. Due to high density and less-airy nature, XPS has greater consistency. All these summed up, XPS is considered a better choice for insulation, even assigned a high R-value, referring to a thermal resistance rating usually applicable to polystyrene insulation products. As compared to EPS, XPS is more resistant to water. Quality Thermopack and Insulation Industries Bangalore manufacture enterprise-standard, high quality XPS materials for both industrial and domestic use. However, recent studies have shown (disclosed in 2003 EPS Molders Association press release), XPS is unable to retain its insulation property for a long time as gas used in its formation process gradually evaporates over time. EPS, which contains numerous air pockets, retains high R-value throughout its functional lifespan. Thermocole Manufacturers Bangalore manufacture different varieties of both EPS and XPS. Due to slightly complicated process for manufacturing of XPS, it is more costly than EPS.

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