Polyurethane forms a part of our everyday lives. FOAMS in particular play a vital role in industries ranging from refrigeration to automotive. The types of polyurethane foams available are constantly making the market grow and thus diversify.
Chemically speaking, polyurethane foams are formed from the reaction of an Isocyanate (ISO) with a Polyol (POLY). These two components combine to form an exothermic reaction. The secret is in all the additives contained in the ISO and POLY, which combine together to produce a blown foam with specific properties. Examples of additives are: catalyst, pigments, surfactants, fire retardants and blowing agents.
A simple way of categorizing foams is to label them under the 4 categories below:
| RIGID |
FLEXIBLE |
| Rigid Polyurethane Foam can have excellent thermal insulation properties. This explains their widespread use as an insulator in domestic and commercial appliances such as refrigerators and hot water systems. |
Flexible Polyurethane Foam can be extremely comfortable. This explains their extensive use in automotive and furniture seating industries. |
| INTEGRAL SKIN |
MICROCELLULAR FOAM |
| Integral Skin Foam is also referred to as self-skinning foam based on the fact the foam forms a tough but smooth skin on areas of the foam in contact with the mould. The foam can be moulded soft for applications such as spa batch headrests, medium for applications such as automotive steering wheels, and hard for applications such as 4WD bull bar bumpers. |
Microcellular Foams are suitable when an application requires a combination of comfort and durability. The EF range of elastomeric foams are often used in applications such as soft rollers and automotive suspension components. |
The uses of foams which are mentioned above are merely a scratch on the surface. They have successfully penetrated a multitude of markets, which are illustrated by our extensive range of specialised polyurethane foam products.
