Styrofoam™ Brand Foam is a patented product of the Dow Chemical Company. In 1941, Lab experiments produced polystyrene foam. The Dow Chemical Company was able to patent this technology and gave it its current name. Styrofoam™ is moisture-resistant and unsinkable, which made it an attractive choice to build six-man rafts in 1942 for the United States Coast Guard. The United States Coast Guard and Navy were able to find additional war time applications for Dow’s new product, and even more uses were found in the late ’40s.
The term is often used to refer to coffee cups, coolers and packing material. However, these items are only generic foam and none have ever been made from true Styrofoam™. Decades of the word being misused has caused the everyday meaning of the word to refer to these various materials. An important difference is that true Styrofoam™ is light blue in color, where as the other generic types of foam are typically white.
In 1949, Styrofoam™ was used to insulate roofs and later used to insulate the underneath of highways in 1966. The technology that created the foam was continually tested and improved throughout the years. Eventually, it was utilized for insulating foundations in the 1970s. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Dow Chemical Company has continued selling their popular products throughout the world. After the turn of the century, Dow chemical company further improved their product by making it termite-resistant.
In addition to its application in building and wartime, Styrofoam™ is also popular for crafts. There are numerous ways for crafters to work with it, such as cutting, painting, gluing, sanding and sculpting. It is also used for home decor and floral designs. For more intricate projects and designs, the foam can be cut with cookie cutters, curled and used as a base for texture projects.
There are many advantages for home and floral designers and crafters to use Styrofoam™ on their projects and designs. It cuts easily and stays true to shape and size without any gaps or wholes throughout the product. Because the foam is closed cell, it will not absorb any water. It is also lightweight, easy to handle, reusable, and retains it shape even when wet. Another common misconception is that Styrofoam™ is not recyclable. It is true that this foam is not biodegradable; however, it does not contain any chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and it is 100% recyclable.