INEOS NOVA Manufacturing

INEOS NOVA Expandable Polystyrene (EPS) is made using a batch suspension process. Styrene charged with organic peroxide initiators is added to an aqueous phase and forms a suspension in a stirred batch reactor. The styrene droplets are stabilised by surfactants and polymerise to polystyrene during heating of the reactor. Blowing agent is added to the reactor during polymerisation and dissolves in the polymer producing the expandable polystyrene bead. After the reactor is cooled, the polymer is separated from the water phase using a centrifuge. The EPS beads are dried and sieved into the required size factions before being coated with additive, which aids the conversion process and final foam properties. The finished beads are packed into octabins for delivery.