Polystyrene is another veteran material developed in the 1930’s. It is an inexpensive, versatile plastic that can be rigid or foamed (Styrofoam™). Polystyrene profiles can be clear, hard, water resistant and lightweight, but have limited flexibility. This material is not good for outdoor use because it degrades with exposure to light. Polystyrene profiles are easy and inexpensive to produce. Because Polystyrene can be transparent, it offers excellent colorability in plastic profiles. Polystyrene or Extruded Plastic Profiles has outstanding electrical properties, good thermal and dimensional stability but poor resistance to solvents. Polystyrene does not like extreme temperatures, has a relatively low melting point, and will start to soften around 212 °F.
High Impact Polystyrene: A rubberized Polystyrene blend called High Impact Polystyrene or HIPS offers improved impact strength along with economical pricing.
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