I remember at an environment conference turning a room full of Swedes into a quivering mass of indignation when I complained that our latest polystyrene was difficult to burn. When they finished berating me I asked if they had any idea how much old engine oil I had to soak it in to get a good blaze going.......
They never did get my Brit sense of humour. 🤣
BR
Colin
When I was Europen Engineering Director at Reckitt & Colman we owned the zip firelighter company. That is basically where you polymerise polystyrene with paraffin in it.
It was made in Eire just north of Drogedha. For the last 5 miles or so of the journey the paraffin smell grew stronger & stronger. On my first visit. The Chief Engineer asked me "if I could be smelling the paraffin". I made some process changes to contain VOCs fairly quickly.
