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Making polystyrene dissolve like magic

Acetone Dissolves Styrofoam Into Goo


Have you ever seen a foam cup appear to melt away in acetone? Foam cups, bowls and containers are made of a lightweight but strong material – expanded polystyrene. How then does acetone reduce this substance to a blob of goo? In this week’s video, we team up with chemistry professor Matt Hartings, Ph.D., to explain this weird phenomenon.

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American Chemical Society——

American Chemical Society, ACS is a congressionally chartered independent membership organization which represents professionals at all degree levels and in all fields of chemistry and sciences that involve chemistry.