Expanded polystyrene (EPS), known in Greece as a styrofoam, is a light, heat-insulating material used in construction and other applications. It is produced from polystyrene granules, which are thermoplastic. By swelling, the granules grow and become pellets, which swell and stick together. Extruded polystyrene is produced in large blocks, which are cut into slabs or molds directly into the shape of the mold, such as boxes, seedlings etc.
The name FELIZOL comes from the first known company in Greece that produced it which sold cork insulators. The scientifically correct terminology is Expanded Polystyrene because the EPS material is produced by the polymerization of styrene, but the polystyrene name has prevailed to date.
Propellant gas in expanded polystyrene is pentane, which is less than 5% v / v in the material. After the vapor is swollen and the final product is produced, the pentane leaves the material and the air gets its place. In the final product 98% v / v. is air and 2% is the walls of closed cells of Expanded Polystyrene.
In addition to building applications, expanded polystyrene is also used to produce molds for molding complicated shapes, as well as packaging material. It is an excellent heat-insulating material and applications other than insulation and packaging are also expanded in the building and decoration. The new technology in Insulated Polystyrene is the addition of infrared absorbers (IR – Infrared Absorbers) to the mass of its raw material, such as graphite or carbon, which improves the thermal insulation capacity of the material by up to 20% reducing its thermal conductivity coefficient (λ). The new category of EPS materials with reflectors / absorbers is called EPS IR and have different shades of gray depending on the type and reflector content in their mass.
The EPS of the AG Bee Box® as a material is environmentally friendly. The production process and use do not pose risks to the environment and health. The EPS for AG Bee Box® bee hives complies with international regulations and is an approved material for direct contact with any food material.
EPS as a material has high resistance to any kind of fungus or bacteria. The cell material is 100% recyclable. More about EPS and the environment can be found here.