Polystyrene: Synthesis, Characteristics, and Applications

Polystyrene represents one of the oldest and the most widespread polymers in the world. Its starts as far back as 1839 when a German apothecary Edmon Simon distilled an oily liquid named styrol from the resin of Turkish sweet gum trees. In several days, the sterol converted into a jelly product that he thought resulted from the oxidation process. For that reason, the jelly product received the name styroloxide. This book discusses the synthesis of polystyrene, as well as the characteristics and applications of this polymer.