Polyurethane Foam Molding Technologies for Improving Total Passenger Compartment Comfort

Improvements in passenger compartment comfort continue to be one of the key needs of the global transportation industry. Since their introduction more than 40 years ago, flexible molded polyurethane foams have successfully contributed to the comfort provided by all forms of transportation seating. Initially required to provide just a wide range of load bearing, seating foams are now being designed for longer service life and better vibration damping and are considered to be a functional part of the overall acoustical package. New performance requirements are being placed on the NVH grade of foams and all interior components of passenger compartments must contribute to a reduction in odor and emissions. To address the ongoing and newer challenges, The Dow Chemical Company has developed several new chemical technologies that will be detailed in this paper. Specific data will be presented to illustrate new foam chemistries that offer low emissions, reduced density, improved vibration management, noise abatement, durability and processing. Attention will be focused on how the choice of polyurethane raw materials impacts foam resilience, mechanical damping and resonance as well as acoustic absorption and noise transmission. The results presented in this paper will help foam producers, seat assemblers, acoustic part manufacturers and OEM interior designers in their efforts to further improve the comfort performance of transportation systems based on flexible molded polyurethane foams.