Facts about Foam from Dyman Foams

Facts about foam (Polyurethane)

There are two important measurements in foam - weight & hardness.

Hardness has nothing to do with quality. Quality is directly related to the weight (density) The heavier the foam the better it is.

It is possible to have heavy foam (therefore good quality) feel soft and it is also possible to have light foam (therefore poor quality) feel hard. All foams lose hardness with use. The better quality foams lose their hardness far more slowly.

Colour in foam has nothing to do with quality or performance. Foam in it's natural state is white. Colour is added only to enable the different types to be easily identifiable. Foam grades are specified in two figures example 23 - 130. The first figure is the weight per cubic meter (M3). The second figure is the hardness rating. This is measured in newtons at 40% indentation.

There are also combustion modified foams. These are treated with a fire retardant - to meet Australian & British standards.