How is upholstery foam made

Also very handy is that both manufacturers dye there foams very similar colours, this helps considerably, for instance if we are looking for the grade we sell as RX Flex we know it will always be a grey colour whether we have bought it from Carpenters or Vita Foam. Due to the size of the blocks and the ability to be able to bond foam together you can see that there is almost no limit to the size of foam we can supply. Opening hours - Mon-Thur: How foam is made Many people think that foam is made in sheets at various thickness' i.

Useful Links. Surfactants are used for controlling the size of bubbles and include silicones, polyethers, and similar materials. Other additives that may be used include cross-linking agents, chain-extending agents, fillers, flame retardants and coloring materials, depending on the application.

Polymerization rates for most industrial polyurethanes range from several seconds to about five minutes. Slower reacting formulations can be mixed and molded by hand, but require long cycle times. Faster systems provide shorter cycle times but must use machines for mixing. Polyurethane formulations are generally processed into a wide range of products by reactive molding, spraying, or open-pouring techniques.

In addition to monitoring the production process, the final product is inspected and tested for various physical and mechanical properties. An important property of foam rubber is called the indentation load deflection, which measures the spring tension or load-bearing quality of the material. The deflection is determined by the amount of weight needed to compress a circle of foam 50 sq in x 4 in sq cm x Most seat cushion foam has a rating of 35, which means it takes 35 lb Since there is such a wide range of polyurethane chemistries, it is difficult to recycle foam materials using just one method.

The majority of recycling involves reusing flexible slabstock foams for carpet backing. Over million lb This involves shredding the scrap into flakes and bonding the flakes together to form sheets.

Other methods have recently been developed. One method involves pulverizing the foam into granules, dispersing these granules in a polyol blend, and molding them into the same parts as the original. One manufacturer has patented a process that breaks down polyurethane into polyol using industrial waste or scrapped automotive parts; glycolysis processes are being used that generate polyol for use in automotive seating foam and cushions for furniture and bedding.

During the reaction, chemical cleavage of the polymer chains urethane takes place. The foam rubber industry will continue to investigate methods for reducing and recycling scrap. One manufacturer is investigating a process for directly producing molded foam parts from shredded flexible polyurethane foam trimmings and production scrap.

The industry faces other environmental challenges that will require the development of new blowing agents. Hydrochlorofluorocarbons are scheduled to be phased out in the United States under the Montreal Protocol by the year Several international efforts may eliminate or even ban HCFCs before this date.

The market for flexible foam will continue to expand into nontraditional areas, such as shock absorption, acoustical applications, and toys. This will require improvements in material properties and processes, as well as the development of new chemicals to meet the demands of new applications for other types of foams. A new catalyst has already been developed for semi-rigid foam systems, which lowers densities and fill weights, as well as reduces demold times.

Modern Plastics Encyclopedia. New York: McGraw-Hill, In just a few years, polyurethane foam became the material of choice for furniture upholstery and car seats, for the most part replacing more traditional stuffings like animal hair, as it was cheaper and quicker to work with.

Foam is versatile, lightweight, and durable. The different families of foam that have been developed over time allow allow furniture makers and upholsterers a virtually endless range of foam types each with specific properties and preferred uses. Foams are available in different thicknesses, densities and the choice of which foam to use should be carefully considered in upholstery applications.

The following page shows just a small selection of the foams on offer for use in upholstered furniture. These steel wire springs snake in a continuous S-pattern from the front to the back of the frame and are typically tied together like coil springs , although there is less tying involved than when using coils.