#polystyrene

Sawdust-Based Foam Could Offer a Sustainable Alternative to Polystyrene

Waste swept off a sawmill floor, plant-based binders, and beeswax create foams with potential for sustainable packaging and building materials.

Newswise — Polystyrene — common in packing peanuts and box inserts — is manufactured from fossil fuels. To develop a sustainable alternative, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Polymer Materials tested an unconventional starting material: sawdust. Their prototype foams incorporated cellulose binders and other additives to form rigid or flexible materials, and some versions matched polystyrene’s strength and impact resistance. A simple beeswax coating made them water-resistant, producing biobased foams with potential for packaging and building materials.  “It can be exciting to use waste products as a starting point for materials fabrication, rather than a chemical catalog,” says Todd Emrick, the corresponding author of the study. He adds that the first author of the paper, Isha Farook, drove to nearby farms and sawmills asking if the research team could have their sawdust waste. Both researchers were pleased and surprised that, once it was dried, this waste sawdust created well-performing foams. 

PS in Mumbai remained stable this week at Rs 177.00/kg, unchanged from last week and steady over the fortnight. Indian PS prices have shown a notable rise compared with one month ago, when the product was at Rs 162.00/kg. The Rs 15.00/kg monthly gain shows that the current pause follows a stronger upward movement, rather than a weak trading structure. The three-month view places the current price below the earlier Rs 182.00/kg level, showing that the market had been slightly higher before stabilizing at the present rate. On a year-on-year basis, the price has increased by Rs 68.00/kg from Rs 109.00/kg. PS prices in India have traded between a recent high of Rs 182.00/kg and a low of Rs 109.00/kg, indicating a wide annual range but limited movement in the latest week. Support is noted around Rs 162.00/kg, while resistance is positioned near Rs 182.00/kg. Indian PS prices now sit in a firm zone within the recent trading band, supported by the monthly increase and stable short-term movement. Polystyrene, PS, Chemical Prices, Stable Market, Weekly Update, Petrochemicals. Read the full verified update on IndianPetrochem.com.

PS prices held steady this week at Rs 183.00/kg, showing no movement from last week or the previous fortnight. Indian PS prices have stabilized after earlier fluctuations, with the current assessment unchanged over the past seven days. The latest level, however, is Rs 6.00/kg below the price recorded one month ago, when PS stood at Rs 189.00/kg.

The three-month comparison shows a decline of Rs 19.00/kg from Rs 202.00/kg, indicating a downward movement from recent highs. Over six months, the market has recovered from Rs 140.00/kg, while the year-on-year view shows a gain of Rs 55.00/kg from Rs 128.00/kg. The recent trading range has included a peak of Rs 202.00/kg earlier this year. Indian PS prices are currently supported at Rs 183.00/kg, with resistance around Rs 189.00/kg. PS prices in India remain steady near the lower end of recent trading, with consolidation visible in the current market structure, PS Market, Polystyrene, Chemical Prices, Stable Trading, Market Range, Petrochemicals.

Read the full verified update on IndianPetrochem.com.