I.

Introduction

The world is evolving rapidly in terms of science and technology. Daily

living has been made easier and lighter. Consumable products are existing in

the market which can be used instantly at any occasion such as foods, clothing,

hygiene products, and etc. Foods and beverages can now be stored in

styrofoam containers and plastic bottles. After consuming the commodities, the

containers are just considered solid waste materials.

Since styrofoam and plastics are both of the most commonly used

disposable materials resulting to a great amount of waste products moreover

polltuion. The researchers came up in an idea of recycling these materials

together to form a usable composite pad which is called the “Styroplastic Pad.”

The project can help reduce styrofoam and plastic and recycle the waste

materials into a pristine and usable product subsequently minimizes the waste

pollution due to the advancement of technology and the demand of increasing

lifestyle. The Styroplastic Pad not only helps the community to be waste-free

but also to provide a highly manageable product to contribute to industry and

economy.
 In this project, the researchers studied about the raised topic and came

up into these questions:

1. What processes will be used to styrofoam and plastics to form the

composite material Styroplastic Pad?

2. How styrofoam dissolves with plastic?

3. Will the Styroplastic Pad be acceptable to standards of end users?

In terms of:

a. Functionality

b. Durability

c. Accuracy and Efficiency

d. Economical and Industrial Consideration

The main components of the Styroplastic pad composite are styrofoam,

polyethylene terephthalate plastic strips and a solvent which is coconut oil.

Styrofoam is an expanded polystyrene (EPS) that usually used for

thermal insulation and craft applications. Originally discovered by Eduard

Simon in 1839 in Germany by accident, EPS is more than 95% air and only

about 5% plastic. It is white and made of pre-expanded polystyrene beads. EPS

is normally a solid thermoplastic at room temperature that can be melted at a

higher temperature and re-solidified for desired applications. EPS is

manufactured from styrene monomer; low levels of styrene occur naturally in

many plants, fruit, vegetables, nuts and meat. EPS is a derivative of ethylene

and benzene and is made using a polymerization process which produces

translucent spherical beads of polystyrene, about the size of sugar granules.

EPS is produced in a three-stage process: Upon contact with steam the

pre-foaming agent found within the polystyrene beads (usually a hydrocarbon

such as pentane) starts to boil and the beads are expanded to between 40 to 50

times their original volume. After expansion, the beads undergo a maturing

period in order to reach an equilibrium temperature and pressure. The beads are

placed within a mold and again reheated with steam. The pre-foamed beads

expand further, completely fill the mold cavity and fuse together. The beads
are molded to form blocks or customized products. When molded, nearly all

the volume of the EPS (~98%) is air.

Properties exist dependently on how materials were made. These are the

mechanical properties of Styrofoam: high thermal insulation, resistant to

moisture, extremely durable, easily recyclable, versatile in strength, easily

laminated with epoxy resin, manufactured into different shapes, sizes, and

compression materials, lightweight and portable, high shock absorbency

characteristics, and compression resistant. The physical properties of

Styrofoam are density of 0.96–1.04 g/cm3, melting point of 240 °C (464 °F;

513 K) which decomposes at lower temperature, and thermal conductivity of

0.033 W/(m·K) in a 0.05 g/cm3 of the material.

The plastic strips that will be used for creating the product are

polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Polyethylene terephthalate is the most common thermoplastic polymer

resin of the polyester family and is used in fibers for clothing, containers for

liquids and foods, thermoforming for manufacturing, and in combination with

glass fiber for engineering resins.

PET was first prepared in England by J. Rex Whinfield and James T.

Dickson of the Calico Printers Association during a study of phthalic acid

begun in 1940. Because of wartime restrictions, patent specifications for the

Chemical of its Terylene-brand PET fiber did not begin until 1954. Meanwhile,

by 1945 DuPont had independently developed a practical preparation process

from terephthalic acid, and in 1953 the company began to produce Dacron

fiber. PET soon became the most widely produced synthetic fiber in the world.

In the 1970s, improved stretch-molding procedures were devised that allowed

PET to be made into durable crystal-clear beverage bottles—an application that

soon became second in importance only to fiber production.

Two monomers, modified ethylene glycol and purified terephthalic acid,

are combined to form the polyethylene terephthalate. Ethylene glycol is a

colorless liquid obtained from ethylene, and terephthalic acid is a crystalline

solid obtained from xylene. The main process steps for making PET are

creation of mixture, esterification/transesterification, pre-polycondensation and

polycondensation. Modified ethylene glycol and purified terephthalic acid are

mix to form the slurry mixture. The mixture fed into the esterification system.

The esterification takes place under atmospheric pressure by splitting off the

water. The product from the esterification/transesterification step is then sent to

the pre-polycondensation unit where the reaction takes place under a vacuum.

The pre-polycondensation product is fed to the final polycondensation reactor

which operates under increased temperature and vacuum. The polyester melt is
processed either into fibers/filaments or sent to the solid state polycondensation

(SSP) unit to make bottle grade chips.

Remarkable properties of PET are having excellent wear resistance, low

coefficient of friction, high flexural modulus, and superior dimensional

stability make it a versatile material for designing mechanical and electro-

mechanical parts. Because PET has no centerline porosity, the possibility of

fluid absorption and leakage is virtually eliminated.

The coconut oil is the solvent of the solution.

Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of mature

coconuts harvested from the coconut palm. Coconut oil has several health

benefits such as skin care, hair care, weight loss, treating yeast infections,

improving digestion and immunity against a host of infections and diseases. It

is also can be used for domestic cleaning applications.

Coconut oil can be extracted through dry processing or wet processing.

Dry processing requires that the meat be extracted from the shell and dried

using fire, sunlight, or kilns to create copra. The copra is pressed or dissolved

with solvents, producing the coconut oil and a high-protein, high-fiber mash.

The mash is of poor quality for human consumption and is instead fed to

ruminants; there is no process to extract protein from the mash. Wet

processing, with this method the oil is extracted from fresh coconut meat
without drying first. Coconut milk is expressed first by pressing. The oil is then

further separated from the water. Methods which can be used to separate the oil

from the water include boiling, fermentation, refrigeration, enzymes and

mechanical centrifuge.

The physical properties of coconut oil are colorless at or above 30 °C

and white when in its solid form, having melting point of 25 °C and it is solid

below this temperature, having smoking point of 1770 C and it shows it

requires high temperature to start emitting smoke, coconut oil forms a white

homogenous mixture when beaten well in a little water, and having mass of

924.27 Kg in each cubic meter.

For components to dissolve together, components must have same type

of polarity. The arrangement or geometry of the atoms in some molecule

within materials is such that one end of the molecule has a positive electrical

charge and the other side has a negative charge. In is the case, the materials

having this type of molecule called a polar material, meaning that molecules

having asymmetric geometry so that the bond dipoles do not cancel each other.

Otherwise, the material is non-polar. Styrofoam, plastic strips, and coconut oil

are all non-polar materials. The materials are able to dissolve together forming

the solution which is the unsolidified stage of the product.

The researchers in this project used the concept of melting, dissolving,

and solidification in conducting the methods. Raw materials need to melt and

dissolve together in order to form the solution. The raw materials need a

solvent for dissolving. In a specific temperature, the solution will cool then

solidifies, forming the desired composite pad.

Materials to be used:  Coconut Oil

 Styrofoam Equipment:

 Plastic Strips
 Stove

(Polyethylene terephthalate)  Mold

 Pan

To create Styroplastic Pad, these steps must be done in order: Heat the

coconut oil in a pan until it boils reaching the temperature of 110 °C. Put

Styrofoam pieces in the boiling coconut oil. Maintain the temperature of

coconut oil until the styrofoam melts. Put plastic strips in the melted styrofoam

to form the solution. Now, the temperature of the stove must be low for the

solution to cool. Allow the solution to be cooled. Pour the solution in the mold
to form the desired shape. As it cools, the solution solidifies forming the solid

composite. Ideal ratio of styrofoam and plastic strips is 7:3 according to mass.

IV. Preliminary Data

As the researchers were conducting the experiment, observations were

made. When coconut oil was being heated, it does not emit foul odors. The

styrofoam dissolved fast when submerged in boiling coconut oil. The mixture

required to be mixed continuously for the components to dissolved together.

The solution rapidly solidifies at room temperature. It is evident that the

coconut oil discolored to a grayish substance after cooking the Styroplastic

pad. The final product has proportion of brittleness with the thickness. The

final product has smooth surface and it is also can be mold easily into definite

shapes. The Styroplastic pad was relatively light when compared to plastic in

market.

The researchers conducted a survey about the Styroplastic pad. The

purpose of the survey is to gather data and to evaluate the product standards.

There were thirty professional respondents that participated on the survey. The

survey has four parts that represents the standard of the Styroplastic pad:

functionality, durability, accuracy and efficiency, and economical and

industrial consideration.
 After conducting the survey, the researchers analyzed the data on the

survey forms. The surveys reflect the following précis: the functionality of the

Styroplastic Pad is viable to serve its purpose as an alternative for plastic pads;

the properties of the product met the desired standards but was mechanically

depressed; Styroplastic Pad is accurate on production and is as efficient as

possible; and economically efficient as the pad requires minimal investment

and can be sold for a relatively low price.

The Styroplastic Pad can be used as a substitute to the existing plastic

products in the market. It will help reduce the waste styrofoams and plastics in

the environment. The Styroplastic Pad is cheaper and easier to produce because

it is made from recycled materials. It utilizes the waste styro-products disposed

by the consumers. The product adapted the properties of raw materials,

styrofoam and plastic, so it can also function as a good thermal and moisture

insulator.
V. Statement of Limitation

For the product to achieve the purpose, there are specific limitations.

Styroplastic Pad is a lightweight composite that cannot hold heavier loads than

its weight. The material’s brittleness rate greatly increases as the thickness

decreases. The volume of Styroplastic Pad depends on the amount of

styrofoam that will be used. To produce Styroplastic Pad, there must be

sufficient resources of styrofoam. The product’s dimensions are reliant on the

molding process. A good molding process can be done by accurate heating

temperature for boiling the coconut oil and accurately shaped and rigid mold to

be used.

In everyday living, scarcity on resources is a daily problem. There is

possibility of lack of components required for creating the product. The

researchers recommend cooking oil as an alternate when lacking of coconut

oil. By cutting plastic bottles, there will be PET plastic strips resource.

Styrofoam is a disposable insulation product for purchase goods or appliances.

large amount of styrofoam is possible.

The research will be able to reduce waste of non-biodegradable

materials as well as produce a viable product that will last in long period of

time considering used properly. The pad, being inorganic, is not subjected to

decomposition so it is expected to last a lot longer than organic materials.

Since the Styroplastic Pad is made of both plastic and styrofoam, it will reduce

the total volume of waste products through recycling. The product will help the

society to achieve a clean and green environment and aid the community

against waste pollution. Since the materials needed for the product are waste

materials, small-scale scavengers can be supported by buying the waste

materials needed, specifically plastic and styrofoam. There is possibility for

industry in producing Styroplastic Pad and it can be a livelihood in the

community where poverty and plastic pollution exists.

Styroplastic Pad is a composite made of solidified solution of

styrofoams, plastics, and coconut oil. The importance of the project is

reduction of styrofoams and plastics in the environment and produce a material

capable for long period of time usage. The idea of researchers become possible

by planning the methods applicable for the raw materials to be used. Concepts

of melting, dissolving, and solidification are applied within the methods. The

polarity of materials is same therefore dissolving it together was possible. After

conducting the survey, the data interpreted: The Styroplastic Pad is acceptable

to standards of end users. The respondents considered the functionality,

durability, accuracy and efficiency, and economical and industrial contribution

of the composite material.