vinylbenzene

9.9

A clear oily liquid people use to make plastics like polystyrene

noun
/ˌvaɪnəlˈbɛnziːn/

Specialized

: vinilbenceno

Vinylbenzene is used industrially to produce polystyrene plastics and resins.

Examples

The chemical vinylbenzene is essential for making polystyrene.
Exposure to vinylbenzene should be minimized due to potential health risks.
Researchers studied how vinylbenzene interacts with other chemicals during polymerization.
Many manufacturers use vinylbenzene to produce various plastics.
Vinylbenzene is a key ingredient in the production of durable polystyrene products.
In the plastic industry, vinylbenzene serves as a monomer for synthesizing various polymers.
Vinylbenzene is often used in laboratories to create different types of synthetic materials.

Synonyms

styrene

vsvinylbenzene

Specialized

3 8.1

A clear oily liquid used to make polystyrene and other plastics

is an alternative chemical name used for the same monomer

phenylethylene

vsvinylbenzene

Specialized

9.1

A colorless oily liquid used to make polystyrene plastic, also called styrene

is an alternative chemical name that refers to the same monomer

cinnamene

vsvinylbenzene

Specialized

9.9

A colorless oily liquid used to make polystyrene plastic

is an alternative chemical name applied to that same monomer

Surface Forms

vinylbenzene singular

vinylbenzenes plural

Morphology

vinylbenzene = vinyl + benzene (semi-transparent) = vinyl + benzene

The structure is a literal compound of 'vinyl' + 'benzene', but interpreting the precise chemical meaning requires specialised chemistry knowledge.

Etymology

Vinylbenzene joins vinyl and benzene. The vinyl part is the same word you see in 'vinyl' records, and benzene comes from 'benzoin', a sticky 'resin' once used for scent. So, vinylbenzene means a benzene ring with a vinyl part, which explains why it is the liquid used to make plastics like polystyrene.