No. 6 plastic, the specific scientific name is polystyrene (ps), "6" is the code name of plastic polystyrene. With a small triangle, there are two words PS next to it. It is a colorless and transparent thermoplastic plastic used to make bowl-shaped instant noodle boxes and foam fast food boxes.

No. 6 plastic itself is non-toxic, and "toxic when heated" is conditional. Even if it reaches this temperature, the styrene released by qualified food-grade materials at a single time is also trace, and long-term use will cause obvious harm. As a plastic product, other chemicals are added during its production process. Usually polystyrene is safer to use at 0-70¡æ. But it cannot be put into a microwave oven to avoid releasing chemicals due to excessive temperature.

Introduction

The "6" in No. 6 plastic is the code name of a certain type of plastic, with a small triangle, there are two words PS next to it. Polystyrene. The specific scientific name of the plastic represented is polystyrene.

Plastic Uses

It is a material used to make bowl-shaped instant noodle boxes and foam fast food boxes.

Safety performance

Polystyrene itself is non-toxic, but it can release and decompose styrene above 90¡æ. This substance has irritating and anesthetic effects on the eyes and upper respiratory tract mucosa, and is also a suspected carcinogen. Therefore

1. It cannot be used to hold strong acids (such as orange juice) and strong alkaline substances;

2. Do not heat it directly in a microwave oven;

3. It is best not to wear a lid when drinking hot drinks.

Extended reading

"01"-PET (polyethylene terephthalate)

Mineral water bottles and carbonated beverage bottles are made of this material. Heat-resistant to 70¡æ, not suitable for acidic and alkaline beverages (this sentence is marked by the reporter, the same below).

"02"-HDPE (high-density polyethylene)

Commonly seen in medicine bottles, cleaning supplies, and bath products.

¡°03¡±-PVC (polyvinyl chloride)

It is easy to produce two toxic and harmful substances and is rarely used to package food.

¡°04¡±-LDPE (low-density polyethylene)

Cling film, plastic film, etc. are all made of this material. It is not heat-resistant and will melt when it exceeds 110¡æ.

¡°05¡±-PP (polypropylene)

Microwave lunch boxes are made of this material and can withstand high temperatures of 130¡æ.

¡°06¡±-PS (polystyrene)

This is the material used to make bowl-shaped instant noodle boxes and foam fast food boxes.

¡°No. 7¡±-PC is the code for other plastic

Because of its light weight, impact resistance and good transparency, it is mainly used to make kettles, cups, and milk bottles. PC contains toxic substances such as bisphenol A. The higher the temperature, the more it is released and the faster it is. Do not heat it during use, and do not expose it to direct sunlight.

Carcinogenic rumors

Carcinogenic suspicion

In December 2013, netizens posted on Weibo and WeChat Moments that the lids of hot drink cups sold in beverage stores are marked with a triangle symbol with the Arabic numeral 6 inside, indicating that the material is polystyrene (PS), which means that this material will release harmful substances at high temperatures.

Expert response

Expert: It is best not to use a No. 6 lid for hot drinks above 70¡ãC

On December 17, 2013, Zhang Jin, a chemistry teacher at the high school department of Dongguan Guangming Middle School, said that polystyrene is a polymer synthesized by free radical polymerization of styrene monomers. When heated to a certain temperature, styrene monomers will be released. In addition, as a plastic product, some auxiliary materials, that is, other chemical substances, are added during its production process. Once a certain temperature is exceeded, the chemical substances may precipitate and affect human health.

High temperature experiment

Reporter's experiment: Polystyrene cup lids deform when heated to boiling water

On December 17, 2013, the reporter conducted an experiment with a No. 5 and a No. 6 plastic cup lid. When the water in the pot was heated to about 70¡æ, the two cup lids were put into the pot at the same time. At this time, there was no obvious change in the two cup lids.

As the water temperature rose, the two cup lids still did not change.

However, when the water began to boil, obvious changes occurred in the pot: the white No. 6 plastic cup lid began to gradually deform. After boiling for 30 seconds, the original round cup lid could no longer be seen. The black No. 5 cup lid still did not change at this time and did not deform.

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