Also known as: EPS, Expanded Polystyrene, Thermocol
"Styrofoam" is a trademarked brand of extruded polystyrene, but in everyday use worldwide it means expanded polystyrene (EPS) — the same rigid white bead foam known in India as thermocol. Technically the brand and the generic material are not identical.
Styrofoam is a registered Dow trademark for extruded polystyrene (XPS), a closed-cell rigid board normally used as building insulation and usually coloured blue or pink. Almost nobody uses the word that way.
In common speech, in India and elsewhere, "styrofoam" means expanded polystyrene (EPS) — the white, bead-structured rigid foam used for disposable cups, fish boxes and appliance packing. In India that material is called thermocol, after an early brand name that became generic in exactly the same way.
So thermocol, EPS and everyday "styrofoam" all refer to the same material, while trademark-correct Styrofoam is a different, denser product. For packaging specification purposes the distinction rarely matters; what matters is that EPS is rigid, brittle, sheds beads when broken and is difficult to recycle through Indian municipal streams.
Where a customer asks for a "styrofoam alternative", they are almost always asking for something that protects like EPS without the brittleness and disposal problem. EPE foam is the usual answer — flexible, recyclable as LDPE, and it absorbs repeated impacts rather than cracking on the first.
Styrofoam at a glance
| Trademark meaning | Extruded polystyrene (XPS), a Dow brand |
|---|---|
| Everyday meaning | Expanded polystyrene (EPS) — thermocol |
| Structure | Rigid closed-cell bead foam |
| Typical density | 10–30 kg/m³ |
| Failure mode | Brittle — cracks and sheds beads |
| Recyclability | Difficult in Indian municipal streams |
Common questions
Is Styrofoam and thermocol same material?
Not strictly. Styrofoam is a Dow trade name for extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation board, while thermocol is the Indian trade name for expanded polystyrene (EPS) bead foam. In everyday use both words are applied to white EPS packaging, so the material a buyer usually means by either name is EPS.
Is thermocol the same as styrofoam?
In everyday use, yes — both mean expanded polystyrene (EPS). Strictly, Styrofoam is a trademark for extruded polystyrene, a different and denser material. For packaging discussions the two words are used interchangeably.
What is a good alternative to styrofoam packaging?
EPE foam is the usual replacement. It absorbs repeated impacts instead of cracking, sheds no beads, and is recyclable as LDPE. Moulded pulp is the alternative where a fully paper-based, kerbside-recyclable pack is required.
Need EPE Foam Boxes for your product?
We manufacture epe foam boxes at our Rajkot unit and dispatch across India. Send the product, size or weight and monthly quantity and we specify and quote within one working day.
Or read the full specification: EPE Foam Boxes