The Composition of Styrofoam

Some of you were curious about what Styrofoam was made from. It is essentially Polystyrene with a blower. Polystyrene is a hard brittle plastic. Most disposable plastic cups are made from Polystyrene.

Styrofoam is made from Benzene, Styrene and Ethylene. Benzene is extracted from coal. It can also be found in gasoline. Benzene is a clear, colorless liquid with a noted "pleasant" smell. Another common name for Benzene is coal tar. It is the most toxic component of Styrofoam. It can be absorbed through your skin or from breathing. On the Hazardous Substance List it is described as a mutagen, a carcinogen, and flammable.

Styrene (Styrene Monomer) is a clear oily liquid with a slight odor. It is "cracked" or extracted from petroleum oil. Styrene is toxic in high levels. It is reactive, flammable, and a mutagen.

Ethylene is a colorless gas that is cooled to become a liquid. It is injected into the Benzene and Styrene. It is called a blower. Ethylene is what makes the Styrofoam a light bubbly plastic. Ethylene encourages plant growth in almost all plants and is generally used as a refrigerant. It is non-toxic, but still flammable.

!!!!! Problems !!!!!

With the current model city I was having many difficulties acheiving the look and feel that I wanted to portray in my photographs. I decided to start construction from scratch, reusing the same cups of course. The new images will be posted in two weeks or less, hopefully. The style of construction will be very different and hopefully that will allow me to produce images that better represent the concept behind this project. If you have any ideas or reactions on this topic or about the images, please leave comments. I would really like to hear from you.

Stage 1 Continued

Stage 1

These and the following images show the progression and expansion of the city and the death of the tree.

500 years to dissolve

Styrofoam cups make up 40-60% of the volume in our nation's landfills. Styrofoam takes 500 years to dissolve, but when packed into landfills it can take nearly a millenium. Styrofoam is composed of three major chemicals, each of which is hazardous in its own way. When styrofoam dissolves, these chemicals seep into the ground water. Burning styrofoam is also extremely hazardous to the environment. When styrofoam is burned it releases over 900 different toxins into the air. This is why we should not use styrofoam products. The green alternatives like eco-foam work equally well and do not present such danger to the environment. People need to take care of the environment if they expect it to sustain civilization.