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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
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FLEXIBLE
POLYURETHANE
FOAM |
Flexible polyurethane foam is one of the most versatile
materials ever
created. We are literally surrounded by it in our lives. It’s in our cars
and under our carpet. It’s used as packaging material to protect delicate
instruments. And it’s the cushioning material of choice in almost all
furniture and bedding. In all, over 1.7 billion pounds of foam are produced
and used every year in the U.S.Foam has become such a widely used
material because it provides a unique combination of form and function. It’s
light, quiet, resists mildew, and won’t aggravate common allergies. Foam can
be easily cut or molded to almost any shape. At the same time, foam can be
made to provide very supple or very firm cushioning for any given
application. This remarkable versatility allows foam to provide the support
needed or long-term medical confinement, or the comfort of pillowy furniture
cushioning.
Flexible polyurethane foam appears to be a simple product, but it is
actually very complex. It can be produced to have an almost infinite variety
of properties. Even though two foams may look exactly alike, they may feel
and perform entirely differently.
However, the properties of foam can be identified and specified very
precisely. The foam industry utilizes a number of measurements and tests to
accomplish this. And by using these measurements, it’s possible to pinpoint
the right foam for the right application. |
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| FLEXIBLE POLYURETHANE FOAM AND FOAM DUST FLAMMABILITY
DATA |
Flexible polyurethane foam and foam dust are
extremely flammable and burn easily. Flexible polyurethane foam and foam
dust will ignite at 600 degrees Fahrenheit. When ignited flexible polyurethane
foam and foam dust can produce toxic gases, flames, smoke and heat. |
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KEY
INGREDIENTS
TO ALL FOAM
APPLICATIONS |
Although a number of different measurements and tests may be
used to choose a foam to use in a given product, almost any selection task
has any or all of the following three elements as its final goal:
Support: The foam has to be able to support the proper amount
of weight to properly cushion an object or person.
Comfort: Foam cushioning has to feel good for the user and
provide not just cushioning but also comfortable use.
Durability: The foam has to hold up through use without losing
its original properties.
These are the basic benefits that foam cushioning provides, and if the needs
in each of these three areas are evaluated first, selecting the proper foam
for a given purpose becomes fairly simple. A sofa seat cushion has to have
good support, comfort, and durability, while the arm and back cushions for
the same sofa need to last and be comfortable, but won’t necessarily be
required to support much weight. The foam used to line the case for a video
camera needs to support the weight of the camera and hold up through use,
but the camera cares nothing about comfort. |
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FOAM
PRODUCTION |
To better understand why foam properties can vary so much,
it’s a good idea to know something about how foam is made.
Flexible polyurethane foam is produced from a reaction of two key chemicals,
a polyol and an isocyanate with water. These are mixed together vigorously
in high intensity mixers in specific amounts with other ingredients, and the
foam reaction begins almost immediately. Bubbles are formed, and the mixture
expands. It’s been compared to bread rising. In a matter of minutes the
reaction is complete.
Slabstock foam process: To manufacture foam for cushioning,
two basic procedures are used. In one, the chemical mix is poured onto a
moving conveyor, where it is allowed to react and expand. Sides on the
conveyor allow the foam to rise in a “bun” or slab anywhere from two to four
feet high.
The continuous slab is then cut, stored, and allowed to cure for up to 24
hours. This manufacturing procedure is the slabstock production process. The
cured foam is subsequently fabricated into useful shapes. Most foams for use
in furniture and bedding are produced this way.
Molded foam process: A second method, foam molding, is a
process where individual items are produced by pouring foam chemicals into
specially shaped molds and allowing the foam reaction to take place. The
process is used primarily for automotive cushioning, although some contract
furniture utilizes molded cushions.
Chemical Effects: The foam production process can be
controlled through changes in the foam chemical mix. In addition to the
polyol, isocyanate and water used to produce foam, a variety of other
chemicals and additives are included to change the final properties of the
foam. These include:
*Auxiliary blowing agents, which augment the primary blowing agent (carbon
dioxide), and can be used to make foam softer or lighter.
*Catalysts, which speed up the reaction to improve productivity or change
foam properties.
*Surfactants, which aid in the formation of foam cells.
*Flame Retardant additives, used to improve a foam’s resistance to ignition
or burning. (Unfortunately, these tend to have a negative influence on the
comfort, support, and durability of the foam.)
*Fillers, which increase the weight of the foam, but can possibly have a
negative influence on the physical properties of the foam.
By adjusting the chemical “mix” of the foam, foam producers can manufacture
literally hundreds of different types of foam, each with its own performance
properties. |
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PROPERTIES
THAT AFFECT
FOAM
PERFORMANCE |
There are a number of physical properties of flexible
polyurethane foam that can be used when selecting foam cushioning for
different applications.
Following is a brief description of the major physical properties of
foam, and the importance of each. Physical properties of foam are measured
under closely controlled conditions of humidity and temperature. Care must
be taken to reproduce those conditions when testing samples of foam for
physical properties.
Density: Density is a measurement of the mass per unit volume.
Measured and expressed in pounds per cubic foot (pcf) or kilograms per cubic
meter (kg/m3), density is one of the most important of all properties.
Density is a function of the chemistry used to produce the foam and
additives included with the foam chemistry. For specification purposes, it
is advisable to use the polymer density of foam, or the density of the
material made up strictly by the foam chemistry without fillers or
reinforcements included.
Density affects foam durability and support. Typically, the higher the
polymer density, the better the foam will retain its original properties and
provide the support and comfort it was originally designed to produce.
IFD: Indentation Force Deflection (IFD) is a measurement of
foam firmness. Firmness is independent of foam density, although it is often
thought that higher density foams are firmer. It is possible to have high
density foams that are soft – or low density foams that are firm, depending
on the IFD specification. IFD specification relates to comfort. It is a
measurement of the surface feel of the foam.
IFD is measured by indenting (compressing) a foam sample 25 percent of its
original height. The amount of force (in pounds) required to indent the foam
is its 25 percent IFD measurement. The more force required, the firmer the
foam. Flexible foam IFD measurements range from 10 pounds (supersoft) to
about 80 pounds (very firm). |
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| MEMORY FOAM |
Technically called Visco elastic foam, this foam is an
open-celled, body-heat and body-weight sensitive material originally
developed for NASA to alleviate the G-Force stresses and pressure placed on
astronauts during space flight. Its properties allow it to automatically
sense your body's temperature and weight - responding by molding to your
body's exact shape and position. It then returns to it's original shape and
're-molds' every time you change positions. Because of it's unique
open-celled structure, it's self-ventilating - so it actually dissipates
heat away from your body - preventing perspiration and heat build-up. |
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SPECIFICATION
TABLES |
The following tables detail the specifications of the foam
being supplied as indicated by a four-digit number. The first two digits
represent the density and the second two digits represent the IFD.
Example: The foam type is 1835. The 18 means a cubic foot of
this foam weighs 1.8 pounds. The heavier a piece of foam, the longer it will
maintain its shape. The 35 means it takes 35 pounds of pressure to compress
a piece of this foam to 25% of its original height. The higher this number
means the firmer the piece of foam.
The foam provided to meet the firmness specifications of soft, medium and
firm are based on our experience and industry classifications. Just as
people have differing opinions about the taste of food, review of a movie
and physical beauty, the way a piece of foam will feel will differ from
person to person. In general, a soft feel means foam will moderately
compress when used, a medium feel will slightly compress and a firm feel
will barely compress. The technical specifications of the foam being
provided are listed in the tables below. We make no representations as to
personal feel.
Premium foam will last longer than standard foam, all things being equal.
These tables are based on foam usage by an average person weighing
approximately 150 to 200 pounds. Adjustments to the foam supplied will be
made for weights outside these parameters. |
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TUBE AND WEDGES |
Standard |
Premium |
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| Soft |
1010 |
1518 |
| Medium |
1021 |
1535 |
| Firm |
1030 |
1545 |
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| CUSHIONS |
Standard |
Premium |
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| Soft |
1821 |
2627 |
| Medium |
1835 |
2635 |
| Firm |
1845 |
2645 |
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| PILLOW |
Standard |
Memory |
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| Soft |
1010 |
4010 |
| Medium |
1021 |
X |
| Firm |
1030 |
X |
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