Foam Density Range: Understanding and Applying Values

With foam, the ability to make the right purchase decision is greatly based on your ability to compare one product to another. A foam material’s density is one of the best ways to do this, but knowing a single product’s density while not knowing how that value measures up to other foam types is like being given a boat in the middle of the desert. Sure, now you have a boat, but how are you supposed to use it?

If you want to learn more, please visit our website huamei.

For example, if you know density is representative of the weight of a 12” x 12” x 12” foam sample, and a 2.8LB open-cell polyurethane foam is considered high-density, durable, and resilient, you’re already ahead of the game! (It is also important to understand that density is a unique trait different than firmness/feel. For more on their differences, take a look at our previous post.)

What matters though, is the ability to know where that 2.8 value falls on the scale, and how it compares to other values. For example, what if you encounter a 1.2LB density open-cell polyurethane foam? In a numerical sense, 1.2 is pretty close to 2.8, but does that closeness correlate to foam density? Without an understanding of the overall scale where most of these values fall, they’re hard to compare.

Because of this, we at Foam Factory wanted to present a guide to help you better understand the range of density values as they apply to conventional open-cell foam, making it much easier for you to make decisions based off your own understanding.

Fair Quality: 0.8LB – 1.5LB Density

Foam in this range is at the low end of density and can be considered fair quality; good for specialty uses and light applications. A density at the lower end means there is less physical foam mass in the material compared to higher densities, which leaves it prone to breaking down more quickly under use.

Fair-quality foam products serve multiple uses however, and their cost-effectiveness makes them smart for many applications. For example, when you need to ensure something fragile gets safely shipped, low-density foam is a fantastic packaging material. And at a lower cost than high-density materials, you can dependably ship, store, and secure products affordably.

Lower density foam is also great for occasional-use comfort products. If used as a soft bed topper by an average-sized individual every day, a 1.5LB density foam will begin to show a noticeable decline in support and comfort after six months to a year. But if used occasionally, such as in a guest bedroom about 60 to 90 times a year, you could get three, four, or even five years of comfort out of a lower-density mattress topper at a fraction of the price of a new mattress. When you pair a fair-quality foam with the right application, you will get the performance you need at a great price.

Good-Quality: 1.6LB – 2.4LB Density

Material within this range can be considered medium-density foam, and good quality. The difference between a 0.8LB density material and a 1.8LB material is fairly substantial, despite what looks like such a minor change in value.

In this range, you find materials that hold up to use better, are able to be used every day, and don’t cost an arm and a leg. This density span carries perhaps the greatest range in quality, as you would expect from products that bridge the gap between low and high-quality. Fortunately, foam density has a linear relationship with quality, so the greater the number, the more durability and resilience you’re getting out of a product.

In this range, you will find a majority of the conventional open-cell foam products on the market, especially around the 1.8LB density point, like Foam Factory’s Lux Regular foam. Many retailers will claim 1.8LB density foam products are high-quality, but this borders on being a white lie. While still very good-quality products, there is another whole tier of foam density readily available to individuals wanting the top quality open-cell foam.

Couch cushions and pillows at the higher end of the range are great products, and frequently-used packaging materials at the lower end can maximize bang for your buck with excellent performance.

High-Quality: 2.5LB – 3.5LB Density

If you want to learn more, please visit our website foam rubber supplier.

For conventional open-cell foam, materials in this range are the best of the best. Compared to the lowest density materials, high-quality foam can have double or even triple the physical foam mass packed into the same 12” x 12” x 12” testing size.

Products with a density in this range offer the greatest quality available, earning their keeps in the most demanding applications. Mattresses and cushions can be made from mid-density foam, but when using high-quality foam, you can get a much longer lifespan out of these products, as they hold up to the same amount of abuse for longer than lesser materials.

In many ways, products in this range can be seen as an investment due to the longevity they will bring to the application where they are utilized. For comfort and support products, high-quality, high-density foam in this range represents the best of the best in conventional open-cell materials.

As you can see, a half pound of density, or even just a tenth, goes a long way with foam. With a majority of products falling in the 1LB to 3LB density range, understanding the degree to which a seemingly small numerical difference can make will help you find the perfect foam for your needs.

Neoprene – Commercial Grade – 60A – 1/16″ x 72″

• Tasks that require flexible materials
• Industrial gasket, bumper, or sealing applications
• Projects that would be better served with wider sheets
• Industrial applications that involve oils, chemicals, ozone
• Applications that involve temperatures between -20° F and 212° F

72” Wide Sheet: This black neoprene sheet is specifically made to be 72” wide. The reason for this is because the standard 36” or 48” wide sheet rolls cannot satisfy the requirements of every application. We make 72” wide sheets of neoprene available so that you do not have to order too many materials for your job. It will help make sure that you have more to work with at a lower cost, minimizing the chances of you being stuck with unused leftover material. A standard roll of 72” wide flexible neoprene is well suited for large-scale industrial applications.

Good Resistance: The oil and chemical resistance of neoprene is in very popular with consumers. Being a synthetic elastomer, it comes with good resistance characteristics against some oils and chemicals. This feature comes in handy for industrial applications that see the presence of abrasive oils and chemicals. As a bumper, pad, or gasket, neoprene is well suited to performing in the presence of such hazards. It also possesses a good level of resistance against ozone.

What Is Neoprene Sponge Rubber?

Neoprene foam rubber is structured by a network of air pockets which gives this type of neoprene many advantages. For example, both open-cell neoprene and closed-cell neoprene sponge have superior absorptive, insulative, and compressive properties than even solid but soft neoprene. The pockets of air contained within neoprene foam rubber physically enable the material to absorb more impact than most other types of rubber. When a force impacts a sheet of neoprene sponge, the energy becomes trapped then rebounds within the structure’s many chambers, dispersing over time due to kinetic energy’s tendency to eventually decelerate. This ability to trap energy also makes neoprene sponge rubber an excellent material for applications requiring insulation. As heat travels through the material’s air pockets, the heat’s speed decrescendos. The air pockets throughout the material retain heat’s energy similarly to how they contain the energy from impacts. Finally, both open- and closed-cell neoprene foam are elastic, which allows them to be compressed easily, permitting them to withstand then rebound from concussive forces without compromising the material’s structural integrity.

Who Invented Neoprene Foam Rubber?

The inventor who pioneered neoprene foam rubber was a scientist named Otto Bayer. Bayer was a chemist working for the German firm IG Farben. In , he discovered—purely by accident—that the introduction of water into a raw, isocyanate-based substance caused vapor to be released within the liquid. These bubbles of vapor could then be trapped as the solution’s transition into a solid form was accelerated. This material, filled throughout with pockets of gas, became the new, sponge-like form of neoprene that we know today as neoprene foam rubber. This new form of neoprene, although fundamentally made of the same material, outshined solid neoprene rubber in many ways. While solid neoprene sheet rubber is irreplaceable in applications such as sealing and gasketing, neoprene foam rubber expanded neoprene’s potential beyond what many had previously thought were its limits.

Neoprene – Commercial Grade – 50A – 1/32″ x 36″

• Black neoprene with smooth finish
• Can handle outdoor weather conditions
• Great as industrial seals, gaskets, and bumpers
• Can operate in temperatures between -20° F and 212° F
• Can be used in applications that may involve the presence of oils and chemicals

A More Flexible Rubber: This black neoprene sheet has a durometer rating of 50, which is a medium grade level. This medium durometer level attributes a moderate amount of flexibility and durability. It is a moderately pliable and elastic rubber when compared to neoprene material of a higher durometer rating. This increased elasticity makes it more open to physical indentation. This flexible neoprene can easily be applied to any industrial applications that need pliable rubber components.

Neoprene Resistance Quality: Neoprene rubber is known to exhibit moderate levels of resistance against oils, chemicals, and environmental factors. These resistance qualities were what made neoprene material famous in the first place. Its durability in the presence of oils and chemicals means that it is good for industrial applications in the forms of seals and gaskets. As an added benefit, our neoprene sheet rubber can also be used in the outdoors because it features resistance capabilities against weathering factors such as ozone.

It should be noted that the idea of neoprene foam rubber was actually proposed as far back as through the research done by Julius Arthur Nieuwland, a chemistry and botany professor at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. His chemical research was instrumental in the development of neoprene in its original, elementary form. And while he explored the potential of this novel elastomer, he suggested the possibility of an aerated form of neoprene. His ideas essentially laid the groundwork for the rise of both open-cell neoprene and closed-cell neoprene sponge elastomers. And his prescience about cell neoprene would cement his position in the history of neoprene as a forward-thinker and founding figure.

Eventually, the chemical giant DuPont brought the rights to the material and began developing it. The very first type of neoprene was not exactly the neoprene sponge rubber that we know today. It was rudimentary at best, and it emitted a terrible odor. In fact, this odor was so repulsive that it was the main factor limiting neoprene’s commercial viability. But soon, researchers at DuPont eliminated this problem, and neoprene’s popularity quickly grew. The year saw the market release of the refined neoprene material that we still use today. It was highly profitable for DuPont. By , the new neoprene elastomer brought in profits of over $300,000 for the company, an amount which had the purchasing power equal to about $6,500,000 today.

Is Neoprene the Same as Rubber?

Neoprene is not the same thing as natural rubber, but it is a type of rubber. While neoprene’s usage was steadily increasing in the s, one event in particular caused neoprene foam rubber’s demand to increase exponentially: World War II. According to the American Chemical Society, by the late s, most of the global supply of natural rubber came from Southeast Asia. Countries such as Thailand and Vietnam held most of the world’s rubber trees after the trees’ continent of origin, South America, in the early s became ruthlessly plagued by the South American leaf blight, a fatal disease targeting rubber trees. During the late s, Japan also began its invasion of Southeast Asia, slowly wresting control over the world’s supply of natural rubber, a shift in industrial power which left Western countries such as the U.S. bereft of affordable rubber. Considering how important rubber already was to society and war in the s, its shortage profoundly affected scientific efforts: industrial foci shifted toward the massive incorporation of a synthetic material which reproduced natural rubber’s properties. By this time, the U.S. was already using neoprene commercially. Though a niche market, shoppers purchased products such as neoprene gloves. But because the American war effort took precedence over its consumer market, all of the U.S.’s neoprene production was expanded then reorganized into the military-industrial complex. Eventually, neoprene supplanted natural rubber as the U.S. military’s main elastomer. Along the way, neoprene sponge rubber found its position within the military’s meticulous network of tools: people discovered that neoprene sponge rubber performed better in certain conditions than did solid neoprene rubber. Ultimately, Japan’s effective barring of the U.S.’s neoprene imports caused neoprene—which includes neoprene sponge rubber—to become a widespread and commonly-recognizable material.

What Is Neoprene Foam Rubber Used For?

Neoprene foam rubber is used for many applications, including aquatic, construction, and automotive applications. Since the time of World War II, the production of solid neoprene rubber sheets and neoprene foam rubber has become a large-scale industry. After World War II ended, neoprene transferred its wartime success into the commercial sphere. As the automobile industry boomed, so did the demand for neoprene. Its excellence in a variety of industrial and commercial applications made it an indispensable part of the modern world. Now, neoprene sponge rubber is used in applications involving marine aquatics, light chemicals, heat insulation, automotive machinery, building construction, and more. Thus, while you differentiate various types of neoprene foam, remember its history: seeing how history has treated this material can illuminate how you, too, might best use it. Although open-cell neoprene and closed-cell neoprene sponge are similar in some respects, they each feature a unique set of properties which orients it toward certain uses. Additionally, neoprene products differ in terms of durometer, material blend, and thickness, changing the product’s ideal application. As neoprene has developed from its inception, it continues its improvements in the present. Neoprene foam rubber is becoming a larger part of many specialized and everyday functions, ensuring its ongoing place in our future as a truly general-purpose elastomer.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of class 1 insulation rubber foam. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.