You may never see it, but chances are you come into contact with
polyurethane foam quite a lot during the day! 75+% of all
polyurethane is used to make foam and this foam is used in a large
variety of places.
Two different types of polyurethane foam are produced. Both are
low density, but one is flexible and soft and the other is rigid.
Flexible polyurethane foams are used for padding in domestic
furniture such as couches, chairs, and recliners, as well as being
used for commercial furniture such as office chairs. It can also be
used for bedding objects; pillows are commonly stuffed with
polyurethane foam. When placed in between the layers of a quilt, it
is useful in helping supply padding and extra warmth. Many vehicles
have their seats padded with polyurethane foam underneath the
fabric, leather, or other material that is visible on top. On a
more limited scale, it is used by clothing designers for such
things as shoulder pads and in the lining of bra cups. It is quite
likely that at least one item in every home has some sort of
polyurethane foam inside of it that is never seen by the users of
the item.
Rigid polyurethane foam also has a wide variety of uses that
keep it away from the eyes of product users. The most common of
these uses is as an insulation product. One example that nearly
everybody should be familiar with is a refrigerator. Polyurethane
foam is what lies beneath the surface of the metals, plastics, or
other materials that most refrigerators are made out of, and it is
what keeps them so well-insulated. The construction industry also
considers polyurethane foam an invaluable tool when creating
insulation inside homes and new buildings being constructed.
Another application of rigid polyurethane foam is in the creation
of building items such as columns, window headers, moldings, carpet
underlay, and door seals.
Every day new uses are found for polyurethane foam. The
electronics sector is currently developing products which use rigid
polyurethane foam parts instead of parts created with hard
plastics. Polyurethane foam remains a not often seen champion for
the many industries that use it.
