Foam peanut
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Foam peanuts, also known as foam popcorn, packing peanuts, or packing noodles, are a common loose-fill packaging and cushioning material used to prevent damage to fragile objects during shipping. They
Foam peanuts (made of expanded polystyrene)
The inner structure of a foam peanut, magnified 390× on a SEM
Packaging peanuts made from bioplastics (thermoplastic starch)
Polystyrene
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Polystyrene is a synthetic polymer made from monomers of the aromatic hydrocarbon styrene. Polystyrene can be solid or foamed. General-purpose polystyrene is clear, hard, and brittle. By weight, it is
Foam peanut
…shaped to interlock when compressed and free flow when not compressed. They are roughly the size and shape of an unshelled peanut and commonly made of expanded polystyrene foam. 50–75 millimetres (2-3 in) of peanuts are typically used for cushioning and void filling packaging applications. The original patent was filed…
Expanded polystyrene packaging
A polystyrene yogurt container
Bottom of a vacuum-formed cup; fine details such as the glass and fork food contact materials symbol and the resin identification code symbol are easily molded
Polystyrene is flammable, and releases large amounts of black smoke upon burning.