Trinseo, a specialty materials and sustainable solutions provider, and one of the largest producers of polystyrene in Europe, announced the commercialization of its STYRON X-TECH 4660 Polystyrene Resins for Extruded Polystyrene (XPS).

The material allows customers in the building & construction industry to reduce material consumption in foam insulation boards through Trinseo’s patented cross-linked polystyrene technology.

“Customers are able to lower foam insulation board density without compromising compression strength with our STYRON X-TECH 4660 material,” said Alain Minelli, business manager of copolymers and polystyrene.

“With extruded polystyrene insulation board, its closed cell foam structure is responsible for providing the long-term durability and rigidity that is needed. Trinseo’s new material impacts this structure by introducing increased melt strength to enhance performance and allow for raw material and cost savings," added Minelli.

STYRON X-TECH 4660 Polystyrene Resin offers the same reliability and performance as previous resin formulations with greater sustainability advantage. It has been validated by several Trinseo partners who have been able to reduce the weight of the insulation board by approximately five percent, reducing carbon emissions by a corresponding amount. 

Trinseo is a significant innovator and investor in polystyrene technologies, recognizing the material’s recyclability and circularity potential. STYRON X-TECH 4660 Polystyrene Resin is the latest sustainable innovation that serves a growing demand in the marketplace resulting from the European Green Deal, which was adopted by the European Commission to focus on sustainability strategies on the continent.