Video: Making polystyrene dissolve like magic

Making polystyrene dissolve like magic (video)
Credit: The American Chemical Society

Have you ever seen a foam cup appear to melt away in acetone? Foam cups, bowls and containers are made of a lightweight but strong material - expanded polystyrene. How then does acetone reduce this substance to a blob of goo?

In this week's video, Reactions teams up with chemistry professor Matt Hartings, Ph.D., to explain the viral phenomenon.

Check it out here:

Citation: Video: Making polystyrene dissolve like magic (2016, May 24) retrieved 6 May 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2016-05-video-polystyrene-dissolve-magic.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

Video: Better coffee through chemistry

4 shares

Feedback to editors