Polystyrene, commonly known as polyphenylene, is a polymer composed of styrene molecules that repeat themselves. It may be reused since it is a thermoplastic polymer, which melts and softens under heat. It is resistant to substances like bases and acids and works well as an electrical insulator. The absence of crystalline configurations in the styrene molecules makes solid polystyrene transparent. The material is weakly UV-resistant and brittle. Moreover, the polymer starts to soften before melting at a comparatively low glass transition temperature of 100ºC. With recycling code number 6, polystyrene is a material that may be melted and used in a variety of ways. 

To create polymers with better qualities, polystyrene is typically co-polymerized with additional substances. To make Poly (styrene-co-methyl methacrylate), or PSMMA, for instance, polystyrene is mixed with methyl methacrylate. The end product is a polymer with improved chemical and UV resistance and clarity. The co-polymerization of acrylonitrile and butadiene with polystyrene yields Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), another widely used plastic. Because of this, ABS has excellent dimensional stability, weldability, moldability, and tensile strength.