Turning Styrofoam Into Cinnamon Candy Transforming inedible materials into food has been a recurring theme, with past experiments including turning plastic gloves into hot sauce. The goal is to convert styrofoam, made from polystyrene and similar to the cinnamon flavor compound cinnamaldehyde, into cinnamon candy. This transformation hinges on breaking down styrofoam back to its base components through chemical processes.
Dissolving Styrofoam Cups To begin the process of transforming styrofoam cups, air must be removed since they are mostly empty space. Using acetone nail polish remover effectively dissolves the cups while releasing bubbles as it breaks them down chemically without altering their fundamental structure. After several iterations of this method using multiple cups at once, a gooey blob of polystyrene remains after evaporation.
Drying Polystyrene The next step involves drying out the dissolved polystyrene until it's solid enough for further processing; however, initial attempts reveal that some parts remain soft inside even after days of waiting. Breaking apart these chunks allows for better airflow and quicker drying times until achieving dry pieces suitable for grinding into powder form using a blender.