Hazards:
Toluene is flammable and toxic. Avoid breathing the fumes.
Chemicals and Solutions:
Toluene
Materials:
Styrofoam cups
Dishes
Water
"Eco-Foam" starch based Packing Material
from American Excelsior Co. Arlington, Texas 76011
Procedure:
Dissolve some pieces of styrofoam in toluene. (Like dissolves like! The toluene is like a black hole for styrofoam.) Allow the solution to evaporate in the hood. The clear film residue remaining after the toluene evaporates is also polystyrene.
Dissolve some of the starch "Eco-foam" packing pellets in water: like dissolves like again!
Try dissolving the styrofoam in water and the "eco-foam" in toluene. They do not dissolve.
Hint:
Discussion:
Polystyrene has the following structure:
The structure of toluene is:
To schedule a demonstration, please send an email to the demonstration lab.
Contact:
Eric Camp
Lecture Demonstration Technician
Bagley Hall 171
(206) 543-1606