How is Type T flexible polyurethane foam made?

A comfortable armchair or an arsenal of sponges for wiping the school blackboard could not be created without polyurethane foam. Although the process of its creation can be seen as similar to the practices of alchemy, it is all about science in its purest form that has led to its production. How is flexible polyurethane type T foam obtained? Please continue reading the post.

Producing a chemical reaction

An outsider observing the production of polyurethane foam could conclude that it is a trivial process. Just combine the two substances, add a little water and stir, and a block of foam will emerge from the clouds of steam. In the meantime, flexible polyurethane foam is created as a result of a complicated, sometimes turbulent chemical reaction. To carry out the said reaction, isocyanates and polyesters or polyethers, defined by the technological term ‘polyols’, should be used. Adding water to this system causes carbon dioxide to separate from the isocyanates. This carbon dioxide will start the expected foaming process, as a result of which the mixture of the above-mentioned substances will increase its volume quickly and violently. The presence of carbon dioxide is also responsible for the characteristic porous structure of the foam.

The next stage of this cycle is coagulation and hardening of the formed polymer. Obtaining a product with the desired parameters, i.e. flexible and durable, depends on the smoothness of the process. Therefore, the main raw materials must be dosed in the right amounts. In addition, auxiliary ingredients that colour, stabilise, fill and improve the structure of the future foam are added. It is extremely important to provide catalysts that ensure the correct and harmonious course of the reaction.

Versatile use of polyurethane foam

Flexible polyurethane foam is a plastic that is used in an unlimited number of industries. It is widely used, e.g. in the upholstery industry. In addition, flexible polyurethane foams are used in the production of rehabilitation and medical equipment. You find them in sports chamber mattresses and in industry in the form of spacers. Such foams have also found application in the clothing industry in the form of shoulder pads, for example. They are also used to produce sponges, scourers and washcloths, which are indispensable at home, but also in commercial premises.

Such versatile use of flexible polyurethane foams is possible due to the different technologies of their production. A minor change in the proportion of water or the type of catalyst will result in products with different density, flexibility, hardness and resistance to repeated compression, and even colours. In this way, it is possible to produce a material offering unlimited applications in a huge number of fields. Order a set of free samples to discover their properties.