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Additive Manufacturing and Characterization of Polystyrene for Thermal Insulation Applications.

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Title: Additive Manufacturing and Characterization of Polystyrene for Thermal Insulation Applications.
Authors: Cimino, Arianna Teresa1,2 (AUTHOR), Miranda, Andrea1 (AUTHOR), Casella, Matteo1 (AUTHOR), Hashemi, Targol1 (AUTHOR), Salomone, Rita1 (AUTHOR), Milella, Eva3,4 (AUTHOR), Pantani, Roberto1,4 (AUTHOR), Liparoti, Sara1,4 (AUTHOR) sliparoti@unisa.it
Source: Macromolecular Materials & Engineering. Apr2026, Vol. 311 Issue 4, p1-18. 18p.
Subjects: Polystyrene, Thermal insulation, Foam, Mechanical behavior of materials, Computer simulation, Fused deposition modeling, Rapid prototyping, Thermal conductivity
Abstract: The energy‐intensive residential sector critically requires sustainable and highly efficient thermal insulation solutions. Due to the increasing demand for complex‐shaped parts, it remains challenging to give them insulating properties. Indeed, traditional processing methods for foam production offer limited control over the internal architecture, a key factor in performance. This paper aims to fill that gap by using Material Extrusion Additive Manufacturing (MEAM) as a new technique to produce tailored atactic Polystyrene components, leveraging additive manufacturing's ability to create complex geometries and control the internal structure (lattice)—capabilities that are usually restricted by traditional methods. Polystyrene is a favored material due to its lower thermal conductivity compared to other polymeric materials; however, conventional manufacturing processes, such as extrusion foaming or foam injection molding, are limited to standardized geometries and lack precise control over the internal cellular structure, a critical factor in determining thermal insulating capabilities. The MEAM process was optimized, revealing that a bed temperature above the glass transition temperature (Tg) is crucial for interlayer adhesion, while moderate printing speeds (e.g., 2200 mm/min) yielded the best mechanical performance. Thermal conductivity was found not to be linearly dependent on the infill density, showing a minimum of 0.03 W/(mK) at 25% infill density for the octahedral structure. Numerical simulations, validated against experimental heat flux data, confirmed the significance of natural convection within the air‐occluded cells, supported by high Jeffreys' numbers (∼105). The closed‐cell structure obtained by MEAM positively contributes to thermal insulation by reducing the effects of natural convection within the cells. This work established MEAM as a promising pathway for fabricating structurally optimized insulators with performance that can rival or be tailored beyond traditional foams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Macromolecular Materials & Engineering is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: Additive Manufacturing and Characterization of Polystyrene for Thermal Insulation Applications.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cimino%2C+Arianna+Teresa%22">Cimino, Arianna Teresa</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Miranda%2C+Andrea%22">Miranda, Andrea</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Casella%2C+Matteo%22">Casella, Matteo</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hashemi%2C+Targol%22">Hashemi, Targol</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Salomone%2C+Rita%22">Salomone, Rita</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Milella%2C+Eva%22">Milella, Eva</searchLink><relatesTo>3,4</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Pantani%2C+Roberto%22">Pantani, Roberto</searchLink><relatesTo>1,4</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Liparoti%2C+Sara%22">Liparoti, Sara</searchLink><relatesTo>1,4</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> sliparoti@unisa.it</i>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Macromolecular+Materials+%26+Engineering%22">Macromolecular Materials & Engineering</searchLink>. Apr2026, Vol. 311 Issue 4, p1-18. 18p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Polystyrene%22">Polystyrene</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thermal+insulation%22">Thermal insulation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foam%22">Foam</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mechanical+behavior+of+materials%22">Mechanical behavior of materials</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Computer+simulation%22">Computer simulation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Fused+deposition+modeling%22">Fused deposition modeling</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Rapid+prototyping%22">Rapid prototyping</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thermal+conductivity%22">Thermal conductivity</searchLink>
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  Label: Abstract
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  Data: The energy‐intensive residential sector critically requires sustainable and highly efficient thermal insulation solutions. Due to the increasing demand for complex‐shaped parts, it remains challenging to give them insulating properties. Indeed, traditional processing methods for foam production offer limited control over the internal architecture, a key factor in performance. This paper aims to fill that gap by using Material Extrusion Additive Manufacturing (MEAM) as a new technique to produce tailored atactic Polystyrene components, leveraging additive manufacturing's ability to create complex geometries and control the internal structure (lattice)—capabilities that are usually restricted by traditional methods. Polystyrene is a favored material due to its lower thermal conductivity compared to other polymeric materials; however, conventional manufacturing processes, such as extrusion foaming or foam injection molding, are limited to standardized geometries and lack precise control over the internal cellular structure, a critical factor in determining thermal insulating capabilities. The MEAM process was optimized, revealing that a bed temperature above the glass transition temperature (Tg) is crucial for interlayer adhesion, while moderate printing speeds (e.g., 2200 mm/min) yielded the best mechanical performance. Thermal conductivity was found not to be linearly dependent on the infill density, showing a minimum of 0.03 W/(mK) at 25% infill density for the octahedral structure. Numerical simulations, validated against experimental heat flux data, confirmed the significance of natural convection within the air‐occluded cells, supported by high Jeffreys' numbers (∼105). The closed‐cell structure obtained by MEAM positively contributes to thermal insulation by reducing the effects of natural convection within the cells. This work established MEAM as a promising pathway for fabricating structurally optimized insulators with performance that can rival or be tailored beyond traditional foams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Macromolecular Materials & Engineering is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1002/mame.202500427
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 18
        StartPage: 1
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Polystyrene
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Thermal insulation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foam
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mechanical behavior of materials
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Computer simulation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Fused deposition modeling
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Rapid prototyping
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Thermal conductivity
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      – TitleFull: Additive Manufacturing and Characterization of Polystyrene for Thermal Insulation Applications.
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              M: 04
              Text: Apr2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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