PS

polymer

Polystyrene (PS) is a rigid, amorphous thermoplastic polymer widely used for its ease of processing, clarity, and cost-effectiveness. It is a standard engineering plastic found in consumer products, packaging, medical devices, and automotive components where moderate stiffness and dimensional stability are required. PS is valued for its processability via injection molding and extrusion, though its brittleness and lower impact resistance at low temperatures make it less suitable for demanding structural applications compared to toughened alternatives like ABS or polycarbonate.

Rigid food and beverage packagingConsumer product housings and enclosuresMedical device components and diagnostic equipmentAutomotive interior trim and componentsElectrical insulation and appliance partsFoam insulation and protective packaging

Compliance & Regulations

?UL 94?Conflict Free?RoHS?REACH?TSCA?Prop 65

Units:

Property OverviewNormalized to typical max values

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Method

Property	Value	Unit	Conditions	Source
Compressive Strength(σc)	61.38	ksi	—
Elongation at Break(εf)	28.41	%	—
Exfoliation Energy(Eexf)	117.8	meV/atom	DFT · OptB88vdW
Flexural Strength (MOR)(σf)	8.977	ksi	—
Hardness (Vickers)(HV)	166.4	HV	—
Ultimate Tensile Strength(σUTS)	3.841	ksi	—
Young's Modulus(E)	228.9	ksi	—

Verified Unverified Low confidence (<80%) Link to source

Property	Value	Unit	Conditions	Source
Glass Transition Temperature(Tg)	207.8	°F	—
Melting Point / Solidus(Tm)	295.7	°F	—
Maximum Service Temperature(Tmax)	723.1	°F	—
Thermal Conductivity(k)	0.1534	BTU/(hr·ft·°F)	—

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Property	Value	Unit	Conditions	Source
Density(ρ)	0.08082	lb/in³	DFT · OptB88vdW

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Method

Carrier

Property	Value	Unit	Conditions	Source
Band Gap(Eg)3 entries	3.559	eV	—
↳	1.929	eV	DFT · OptB88vdW
↳	2.624	eV	DFT · TBmBJ
Dielectric Constant (Relative Permittivity)(εr)	6.488	-	DFT · OptB88vdW
High-Frequency Dielectric Constant (ε∞)(ε∞)2 entries	7.429	-	DFT · OptB88vdW
↳	6.150	-	DFT · TBmBJ
Electron Effective Mass(m*e)	1.923	me	DFT · OptB88vdW · 27°C
Hole Effective Mass(m*h)	1.663	me	DFT · OptB88vdW · 27°C
Magnetic Moment(μB)	0.000	µB	DFT · OptB88vdW
Piezoelectric Modulus(eij)	0.000	C/m²	DFT · OptB88vdW
Thermoelectric Power Factor(PF)2 entries	0.00143	W/(m·K²)	DFT · OptB88vdW · n-type · 1e20 cm⁻³ · 327°C
↳	0.00150	W/(m·K²)	DFT · OptB88vdW · p-type · 1e20 cm⁻³ · 327°C
Seebeck Coefficient(S)2 entries	-376.7	μV/K	DFT · OptB88vdW · n-type · 1e20 cm⁻³ · 327°C
↳	285.9	μV/K	DFT · OptB88vdW · p-type · 1e20 cm⁻³ · 327°C
Spectroscopic Limited Maximum Efficiency (SLME)(SLME)	10.26	%	DFT · TBmBJ

N entriesMultiple entries per property — large groups are collapsed; click a summary row to expand. Use filters above to narrow by form, heat treatment, basis, or test environment.

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Property	Value	Unit	Conditions	Source
Refractive Index(n)	1.569	-	—

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Property	Value	Unit	Conditions	Source
Energy Above Hull(ΔEhull)	0.00220	eV/atom	DFT · OptB88vdW
Formation Energy(ΔHf)	-0.1631	eV/atom	DFT · OptB88vdW

Verified Unverified Low confidence (<80%) Link to source

Reference data from cited sources. Not verified or certified by MatWorld Inc. Verify against the source before use in design. Terms: engineering data

Regulatory Screening

Environmental

Safety & Biocompatibility

RoHS, REACH, and Prop 65 statuses are validated against official substance lists (ECHA SVHC Candidate List, OEHHA Prop 65, RoHS Annex II). Other regulations are estimated from composition and material classification. All screening is a starting point for due diligence — always verify with your supplier before making compliance decisions.

PS — Properties & Data | MatWorld