Editing Polystyrene (section)

===Sheet or molded polystyrene===
[[File:Caja de CD.jpg|thumb|left|upright|CD case made from general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) and high impact polystyrene (HIPS)]]
[[File:Maquinilla de afeitar desechable.JPG|thumb|left|Disposable polystyrene razor]]
Polystyrene (PS) is used for producing disposable plastic [[cutlery]] and [[dinnerware]], [[CD and DVD packaging|CD "jewel" cases]], [[smoke detector]] housings, [[license plate]] frames, [[plastic model]] assembly kits, and many other objects where a rigid, economical plastic is desired. Production methods include [[thermoforming]] ([[vacuum forming]]) and [[injection molding]].

Polystyrene [[Petri dish]]es and other [[laboratory]] containers such as [[test tubes]] and [[microplate]]s play an important role in biomedical research and science. For these uses, articles are almost always made by injection molding, and often sterilized post-molding, either by irradiation or by treatment with [[ethylene oxide]]. Post-mold surface modification, usually with [[oxygen]]-rich [[Plasma (physics)|plasma]]s, is often done to introduce polar groups. Much of modern biomedical research relies on the use of such products; they, therefore, play a critical role in pharmaceutical research.<ref>{{cite web|author=Norton, Jed |title=Blue Foam, Pink Foam and Foam Board|publisher=Antenociti's Workshop|url=http://www.barrule.com/workshop/images/info/foams/index.htm|access-date=29 January 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080226152632/http://barrule.com/workshop/images/info/foams/index.htm |archive-date = 26 February 2008}}</ref>

Thin sheets of polystyrene are used in polystyrene [[film capacitor]]s as it forms a very stable [[dielectric]], but has largely fallen out of use in favor of [[polyester]].