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It is a common sight to see foam coolers at picnics, parties, camping and fishing excursions. The usage of these affordable and easy to use foam products has quickly expanded in our society. Food, drinks, vaccines and even donated organs rely on these coolers to keep optimal conditions when shipped. We buy, use and dispose of them with great ease, but have you ever stopped and asked yourself how are they made?

Foam-related products are made from a common material: styrene. This substance is a petroleum-derived monomer, which means that its natural form is separate molecules. To begin the process, it is mixed with several chemicals (these chemicals may be different from one company to another) for its polymerization. After adding all the ingredients to the styrene, the resulting solution is then put in specialized reactors at a certain temperature with water and other agents to promote the polymerization. This means that this semi-liquid substance will begin to transform into tiny beads. When the solution reaches the perfect point, a blowing agent is added to maximize the reaction, and then it is ended when the recipe values are met. At this point, the styrene has been transformed into polystyrene. The size of the beads is chemically controlled during the polymerization process. The fresh beads are then cooled and stored until they are needed.

Usually a separate company will use the polystyrene beads to make products such as foam packages, coffee cups and much more. The process by which the tiny beads become a cooler is rather simple, and the final material is called Expandable Polystyrene (EPS). After the beads have been bought, shipped and delivered, the foam designing company puts the beads through an aging process, which consists of heating the beads to promote their expansion, and as a consequence their density is diminished. In some cases, the density can be reduced to three percent of the original value. This process allows the beads to be freely manipulated, and after that they are put into molds. A wide variety of mold models can be designed so that the company satisfies the needs of their customers. When foam coolers are going to be made, the beads are put into the respective model. Immediately afterwards, low-pressure steam is injected causing the beads to expand and fuse together taking the shape of the mold. Finally, the newborn foam product is cooled, making it ready for use.

After all these complex processes and reactions are finished, the foam products begin the long and tiring journey to your local supermarket. By the same process, a myriad of other products besides foam coolers can be made if the right mold is available, from interior packaging to giant display foam designs.

It is impressive to know that behind such common products that we use on a daily basis, there are a hundred or more processed involve. So much effort put in a single foam cooler. Can you imagine how many companies, jobs, minds and hands does your foam cooler represent?