Styrene

Properties, uses, and applications

Boat moored in a port

This is an aromatic liquid hydrocarbon, yellow or colorless, that evaporates easily and has a sweet smell.

It is used as a raw material in the production of numerous types of homopolymers and copolymers with exceptional properties used in a variety of industries. 

Examples of applications in which styrene derivatives are usually found:

  • In ubiquitous polystyrene packaging and car components and household appliances.
  • Expanded polystyrene (EPS), widely known as white cork, for use in both packaging and building insulation. 
  • Styrenic rubbers for the manufacture of tires, hoses, toys, shoe soles, and asphalt sheets.
  • ABS and SAN copolymers for manufacturing toys, small appliances, computers, mobile phones, electrical components, and medical devices
  • Unsaturated polyester resins (UPR) used for construction, the hulls of pleasure boats, furniture, impact resistant surfaces (floors, kitchen, bathroom), and in the blades of wind turbines.

See our online grade catalog

Download the technical and safety data sheets

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Updated as of July 2026