HomeHow long does it take foam - styrofoam - polystyrene to decompose?
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Answered 2017-07-20 08:05:04
Exposure to UV from sunlight will degrade the styrene molecule. Exposure to ambient ozone will also degrade the styrene molecule. In the sun, in a place with lots of ozone pollution, styrofoam falls apart in months. Built into refrigerators and ice chests, sealed away from ozone exposure with antioxidants built in, styrofoam will last for (probably) centuries. In a landfill, styrofoam usually lasts about a decade, depending on moisture and biological history.
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polystyrene foam (styrofoam cups and packaging materials) is soluble in acetone.It is not melted but dissolved.The acetone dissolves the long polymer strands releasing the trapped air(foam) and thus the structure collapses
Styrofoam is a brand trade mark for extruded polystyrene foam. This foam is a very good insulator, and will trap heat, so keeping food hot for a long times.
Never.............................................NEVER
YesStyrofoam takes a long time decompose and for that reason is considered bad for the environment.
Styrofoam takes more than a million years to decompose. It is the most environmentally unfriendly product that humans use today.
It will take 400 years.
Polystyrene foam is a good insulator. The characteristics that make polystyrene is a good insulator stems from its composition of long polymer chains and because it encapsulates regions of gas in the form of a closed cell foam. Air and gas in general are poor conductors of hear when convection is inhibited as it is in a foam. (The form used in insulation is often a closed cell foam, but that is not the only form taken by polystyrene.)
The two problems with polystyrene materials, which includes styrofoam cups, is that it takes an extremely long time to decompose (compared with other materials) and tends to crumble and become a big source of water-borne trash, potentially harming different kinds of animals.
Polystyrene foam is a good insulator. The characteristics that make polystyrene is a good insulator stem from its composition of long polymer chains and because it encapsulates regions of gas in the form of a closed cell foam. Air and gas in general are poor conductors of hear when convection is inhibited as it is in a foam. (The form used in insulation is often a closed cell foam, but that is not the only form taken by polystyrene.)
In a clean dry place out if the sun, never!
Styrofoam can do many things to the enviroment. For one thing, it doesn't decompose until over 100 years! Also, it has many harmful chemicals that could seep into the ground.Actually, styrofoam contains one chemical: polystyrene, which is long chains of the styrene monomer. It doesn't 'seep into the ground' at all. However that is not to say it doesn't damage the environment. Obviously it is not good to leave polystyrene lying around but it does no more harm than a plastic bottle or coke can - an eyesore maybe, but it won't leak chemicals or poison anything.
The advantage of Styrofoam for food service is that it keeps hot foods hot and cold foods cold. However, some problems with polystyrene materials, are that it takes an extremely long time to decompose and tends to crumble and become a big source of water-borne trash, potentially harming different kinds of animals by choking and clogging animal digestive systems.
Plastic made from fossil-fuel oil never decomposes. It may break down into tiny pieces of plastic after some time, and may even be eaten by animals and insects, but styrofoam and other plastics do not decompose.
Styrofoam has a high resistance to heat transfer- that is heat does not "flow" through it very easily. Therefore, heat from the outside air does not enter the container very quickly. This happens because Styrofoam consists of expanded polystyrene. If you looked at Styrofoam under a very strong microscope you'd see millions of tiny pockets in the foam. These pockets trap stagnant air. Air (as long as it's not moving in a current) is very resistant to heat transfer. Hope this helps!
Styrofoam is made of polystyrene, which is a long polymer chain. It is a hydrocarbon chain with every other carbon connected to a Phenyl group (an aromatic ring similar to benzene).See the Web Links to the left of this answer for a picture and more information.
It depends on the material. For example, tin cans take 100 years to decompose, styrofoam cups take 400-500 years and plastics take thousands of years to decompose. Plastics are the materials that has the longest decomposition period because they contain materials that do not decompose easily.
Under ideal conditions, a paper carton can decompose in about 3 weeks. Ideal conditions would be chopped up in the middle of an actively decomposing compost pile. A polystyrene carton takes hundreds of years to fully biodegrade.
Examples are plastics, metal and glass. Dangerous chemicals and toxins are also non-biodegradable, as are plastic grocery bags, Styrofoam (polystyrene), and other similar materials.
how long does fabrics take to decompose how long does fabrics take to decompose
iron does not decompose but after a long time and i mean a long time it just starts to flake away but does not decompose
One (1) month, 25-40 years, 50-450 years, and 50 years are the time that it respectively takes a banana peel, a leather shoe, a plastic jug, and a styrofoam cup to decompose. But the length responds to access to proper levels of air, heat, light, micro-organisms, and moisture.
how long does it take styrofoam to bidegrade?more then 5000 years10 years
Like many other plastics, polystyrene is a polymer derivative of oil. It can be, but often is not, recycled. This is because of a lack of plants capable of processing the material, and its low yield when processed from its expanded foam form. In the cases where it is recycled, it is often used in other plastics and materials. Furthermore, plastics generally decompose very slowly, and polystyrene is no exception. This means the material stays in the ground without breaking for a long time when placed in a landfill Historically, the material has been expanded using Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's), increasing awareness and regulation have led to the use of other, more environmentally sound substances. In addition, some cities have imposed bans on the material for packaging. Polystyrene is a common and useful material, however, its long decomposition time and infrequent reprocessing, as well as its disruptive introduction into ecosystems contribute to its reputation for not being environmentally friendly. src: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polystyrene
Brass is a metal it does no decompose. Only organic materials can decompose.
1700 years to decompose
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