Polyurethane Foam Technology

Answer 1

Polyurethane foam is a chemically produced material that exhibits highly resilient qualities. It is commonly used for production of both flexible and firm items, including foam for seating, insulation panels, bushings, gaskets, seals, Spandex fibers, and hard plastic parts. It was originally the brainchild of German chemist Otto Bayer and others in 1937. Development of finished products was delayed due to the interference of World War II, and polyurethane foam again resurfaced for development in the early 1950’s.

A new product called “imitation Swiss cheese” became commercially available when inventors accidentally allowed water into the reaction mix. DuPont Company, BASF, and Dow Chemical brought more polyurethane foam to the commercial markets by 1957, and the automotive industry began using firm polyurethane plastics parts thereafter. Over the next two decades, automotive applications using polyurethane foam increased, eventually resulting in all plastic cars.

The introduction of blowing agents created capabilities for spraying polyurethane products on parts and in molds, thus expanding its use and popularity. Some economic advantages over other materials quickly boosted the development and use of polyurethane foam into many areas of industry. It is used now for coating large areas such as concrete and steel structures, tunnels, tank liners, and recently for creating spray-in-place load bed liners that are found on pickup trucks and other cargo areas.

With a desire to produce this product using green technology while cutting costs, new polyurethane foam and products are being produced using environmentally friendly natural vegetable oils. By 2007, worldwide consumption of the raw materials used to make polyurethane foam reached over 12 million metric tons. Continued popularity of these materials keeps current annual production growth rates at around 5% per year.

The uses of polyurethane foam are myriad. Furniture foam, packaging foam, bedding, underlay for carpeting, vehicle interiors, and shock absorption parts are made from flexible or firm polyurethane foam. There are no real substitutes for this material with regard to the benefits of low cost, flexibility, usability, weight and compression resistance. It is a safe product that does not emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that might present a health hazard. Its ability to become either a flexible or firm end product greatly extends the range of usefulness of polyurethane foam.

As there are many proprietary products and technologies involved with this product, a good resource for further technical questions is the Polyurethane Foam Association website, for starters. Visit them at: http://www.pfa.org/faq.html.