HIPS

‘HIPS’ stands for ‘High Impact Polystyrene Sheet’.

HIPS is one of the most versatile and economical plastics available and in this blog we will explain when it was developed, how it is made and where you can find it.

Polystyrene was first discovered by German apothecary Johann Eduard Simon in 1839 in Berlin, Germany. After distilling an oily substance from the resin of the Sweetgum tree, known as storax. He discovered several days later that the ‘styrol’ he had created had thickened into a jelly which he dubbed styrol oxide – wrongly presuming an oxidation process. Polystyrene was first industrialized in 1931 by the I. G. Farben company, nearly a century after its discovery. Pure polystyrene is rather brittle and unsuitable for many applications so it is combined with polybutadiene or rubber to create what is known as a copolymer. This strengthens the plastic significantly and turns pure polystyrene into HIPS and results in a very stiff material which is useful for packaging applications.

HIPS became a standard, cheap replacement for products typically made from molded zinc. Today it can be found in cars, electronics, laptop casings, soft drinks cups, plastic cutlery, and food packaging, along with a whole host of other applications. For an idea of what HIPS looks and feels like, most yogurt pots are made from it due to their hard and food-safe nature. Along with its hardness, HIPS is useful because of its inherent moisture barrier properties, making it suitable for short-shelf life products such as cookies or pastries.

HIPS is not only desirable for its end-product properties, but also for its workability. HIPS can be easily thermoformed and is 100% recyclable. Whilst HIPS and other forms of polystyrene can be recycled they are not accepted at all recycling centers, so it is always worth checking if your local municipality accepts these plastics.