Industry Terms
Board Foot
A unit of foam measurement equal to a square foot of material - one inch in thickness.
Bottom Out
A
lack of support under a full weight load. This characteristic is often
found in low-density foam. This term is very subjective, as foam may
bottom out with a heavy person, and be very comfortable to a
lighter-weight individual. Specifying foam with higher density and/or
greater compression can reduce any “bottom out” issues.
Bun
A segment of foam cut off from continuously produced slab
stock.
Convoluted
A
foam fabrication process involving the use of a special cutting
equipment to produce a foam sheet with dimples. The base under the
dimples can be varied in thickness. Peaks can be produced from 1/2" to
over 4" in height. Foam dimples can be produced in a number of shapes
including egg-like designs, waves, squares or sharply defined points.
CFC-Free Foam
Flexible
polyurethane foams that have been made without the use of
chlorofluorocarbons as auxiliary blowing agents (all Foamex products
are CFC Free).
Closed Cell Foam
Foam
cells having intact cell membranes thereby reducing or eliminating
passageways for airflow. BFF Foam Corp. provides “open cell” foam
products (see definition of open cell below).
Fire Retardant Foam (“FR”)
A
type of foam that has undergone rigorous testing and has been
classified as fire retardant in accordance with California Technical
Bulletin 117, Section A Part I and Sec. D Part II. Fire Rated foams
contain fire retardants – a material that when added to flexible
polyurethane foam, will cause the foam to be more difficult to ignite
or burn less rapidly.
High Resilience (HR) Foam
Commonly
known as the highest quality foam available. High resilience foam has a
less uniform (more random) cell structure different from conventional
products. The different cell structure helps add support, comfort, and
resilience or bounce. High resilience foams have a high support factor
and greater surface resilience. However, not all “HR” foams are the
same in quality. The best quality HR foam on the market is commonly
known as Ultra or Ultra Cell. In order to be considered an Ultra foam,
the density must be 2.5lbs /cubic foot and have at least a 2.3 support
factor or higher. All other “HR” foams with less than this density are
classified as “low-density HR” foam.
Open Cell Foam
A
permeable structure in flexible foam in which there is no barrier
between cells and gases or liquids can pass through the foam (BFF
provides open cell foam to its customers).
Rebonded Foam
A
foam resulting from a process of adhering small particles of foam back
together again to make a usable cushioning product. Various adhesives
and bonding processes are used. A typical application for rebonded foam
is for carpet underlay or high intensity applications such as athletic
equipment or exercise mats.
Reticulated Foam
Flexible
polyurethane foams characterized by a three-dimensional skeletal
structure with few or no membranes between strands. Reticulated foams
are generally used as filters, acoustical panels, for controlled liquid
delivery and areas where water absorption may be a problem.
Skin
The higher-density outer surface of foam that usually occurs
when the foam surface cools more rapidly than the core.
Slitting
The process where sheets of foam are cut from a rectangular
foam bun.
"Super Soft" Foam
Foams that have an IFD measurement within the 4 to 10 pound
range and have a similar feel to fiber.
Support Factor
The
ratio of a foams ability to support force at different indentation (or
compression) levels. It is determined by taking the ratio of the foam's
IFD at 25% indentation and 65% indentation (65% IFD/25 IFD%). The
compression is typically a function of foam chemical formulation and
the manufacturing process. In most cases, the higher the density the
greater the support factor. When the support factor is known it can be
used in conjunction with a known 25% IFD value to determine the 65% IFD
value. Seating foams with a low support factor are more likely to
bottom out under load. (Ultra Cell HR foam has a support factor of
2.5).
Urethane
Actually
a misnomer as applied to polyurethane foam. A colorless, crystalline
substance used primarily in medicines, pesticides and fungicides.
Urethane is NOT used in the production of urethane polymers or foams.
The urethanes of the plastics industry are so named because the
repeating units of their structures resemble the chemical urethane.
Water Blown Foam
Flexible
polyurethane foam in which the gas for expansion is carbon dioxide
generated by the reaction between water and an isocyanate material. All
flexible polyurethane foam is water blown, although auxiliary blowing
agents are often used to obtain special physical properties (Foamex
uses CO2 as a blowing agent).
