Where Reticulated Polyurethane

Foam’s a Fit
Reticulated polyurethane foam is more than just a synthetic
sponge. It can stop explosions, carry catalysts, and keep static
from killing circuits.

Robert Gliganic
Technical Manager
Crest Foam Industries Inc.
Moonachie, N.J.

Edited by Jean M. Hoffman

Reticulated polyurethane foam may appear to the uninitiated as nothing more than a
synthetic sponge. But this lightweight material is strong enough to handle industrial
applications ranging from sound and vibration absorption to sparkproofing fuel
tanks in aircraft and race cars.

The flexible foams feature an open-pore structure with pore sizes and densities
engineered specifically to suppress explosions and mitigate noise. They can prevent
catastrophic explosions caused by incendiary arms fire. They can also squelch the
static spark that can ignite fuel vapor during over-the-wing refueling or a race-car
crash. The material resists most fuels, dissipates static, and can be manufactured
with repeatable pore sizes.

What is reticulated foam?

Reticulated polyurethane foams feature a pentagonal dodecahdron geometric shape
with 12 plane faces — do’ dec•a•he’dron from the Greek (dyo) two, deka (10), and
hedra (base). A thermal reticulation process creates this unique cell-shape structure.

A variety of polyester and polyether polyurethanes get modified under pressure to

create a flexible network of open cells. Thermal reticulation produces foams that look
smooth, have high tear and tensile strength, and repeatable pore structure from
batch to batch. The process parameters control cell size for specific applications.

Foams are classified as having discrete pore sizes measured as pores per inch (ppi) or
as a ratio of the number of voids per solid material per linear inch. Materials with a
higher ppi value contain less solid material and weigh less. Yet, they maintain a high
percentage of the strength and chemical resistance present in the original material.
Foam under compression, as in gasketing applications, can be made with a void
volume (or ratio of total voids to solid material) as high as 98%. It can have surface
areas as large as 200 ft2/ft3. The production process for polyurethane used as a filter
or gasket can be tweaked to optimize properties for a particular application. The
number of ppis and the size of the pores determine permeability. Typical pore sizes
for reticulated polyurethane foams used industrially range from 4 to 120 ppi.

Forming gaskets
Reticulated polyurethane foam is essentially inert and is thus a candidate for filtering
media. Humidifier filters, vehicle air cleaners, bacteria filters, and engine inlet
prefilters are all examples. They handle compression ratios as high as 20:1, resulting
in void volumes as high as 95% for filtering applications.

For gasketing, the force deflection needed to compress a square-inch section of the
material 25% ranges from 2 to 7 psi depending on the pore sizes. Unlike many gasket
materials, reticulated polyurethane foams suffer little compression set or “memory”
effect once compression forces are removed, even at elevated temperatures.
Reticulated polyurethane foams also work as gasket materials where it’s important to
have flame resistance per Underwriters Laboratories’ (UL) UP94 flammability
ratings. They also can be certified to meet CAL-117 fire protection standards. They
are inherently impervious to breakdown from microbial organisms and can be
manufactured with permanent fungicidal/bactericidal additives to help control
microbial activity.

In addition to use as sealants or gaskets, reticulated polyurethane foams can be

spec’d as dielectric insulators. They can be embedded with conductive metal particles
in cases where a gasket or seal must also serve as a conductive material, as when
providing a ground connection.

Polyurethane foams become ceramic

An interesting industrial use for reticulated polyurethane foam is in the production

of ceramic filters for eliminating impurities in metal castings. Ceramic filters remove
impurities by presenting a circuitous path for the molten metal poured through them
during the casting process. In this application, the foam serves a sacrificial catalytic
substrate. The foam is coated with ceramic slurry and dried. It then is fired in a kiln
where it burns away leaving a fused ceramic filter with pore sizes ranging from 4 to
50 ppi (pores/in.).

SafeCrest reticulated polyurethane foams are designed for use in rigid and flexible
(bladder-type) fuel tanks and fuel cells (inset) in virtually any vehicle, vessel, or
aircraft where an explosion hazard may exist. The foams can also prevent
catastrophic explosions of ignited fuel vapors in the tank caused by electrical arcing,
overheating of internal components, lightning strikes, or by static electrical
discharge.

Robert Gliganic
Technical Manager
Crest Foam Industries Inc.
Moonachie, N.J.
Edited by Jean M. Hoffman

Reticulated polyurethane foam may appear to the uninitiated as nothing more than a
synthetic sponge. But this lightweight material is strong enough to handle industrial
applications ranging from sound and vibration absorption to sparkproofing fuel
tanks in aircraft and race cars.

The flexible foams feature an open-pore structure with pore sizes and densities
engineered specifically to suppress explosions and mitigate noise. They can prevent
catastrophic explosions caused by incendiary arms fire. They can also squelch the
static spark that can ignite fuel vapor during over-the-wing refueling or a race-car
crash. The material resists most fuels, dissipates static, and can be manufactured
with repeatable pore sizes.

What is reticulated foam?

Reticulated polyurethane foams feature a pentagonal dodecahdron geometric shape
with 12 plane faces — do’ dec•a•he’dron from the Greek (dyo) two, deka (10), and
hedra (base). A thermal reticulation process creates this unique cell-shape structure.

A variety of polyester and polyether polyurethanes get modified under pressure to

create a flexible network of open cells. Thermal reticulation produces foams that look
smooth, have high tear and tensile strength, and repeatable pore structure from
batch to batch. The process parameters control cell size for specific applications.

Foams are classified as having discrete pore sizes measured as pores per inch (ppi) or
as a ratio of the number of voids per solid material per linear inch. Materials with a
higher ppi value contain less solid material and weigh less. Yet, they maintain a high
percentage of the strength and chemical resistance present in the original material.
Foam under compression, as in gasketing applications, can be made with a void
volume (or ratio of total voids to solid material) as high as 98%. It can have surface
areas as large as 200 ft2/ft3. The production process for polyurethane used as a filter
or gasket can be tweaked to optimize properties for a particular application. The
number of ppis and the size of the pores determine permeability. Typical pore sizes
for reticulated polyurethane foams used industrially range from 4 to 120 ppi.

Forming gaskets
Reticulated polyurethane foam is essentially inert and is thus a candidate for filtering
media. Humidifier filters, vehicle air cleaners, bacteria filters, and engine inlet
prefilters are all examples. They handle compression ratios as high as 20:1, resulting
in void volumes as high as 95% for filtering applications.

For gasketing, the force deflection needed to compress a square-inch section of the
material 25% ranges from 2 to 7 psi depending on the pore sizes. Unlike many gasket
materials, reticulated polyurethane foams suffer little compression set or “memory”
effect once compression forces are removed, even at elevated temperatures.
Reticulated polyurethane foams also work as gasket materials where it’s important to
have flame resistance per Underwriters Laboratories’ (UL) UP94 flammability
ratings. They also can be certified to meet CAL-117 fire protection standards. They
are inherently impervious to breakdown from microbial organisms and can be
manufactured with permanent fungicidal/bactericidal additives to help control
microbial activity.

In addition to use as sealants or gaskets, reticulated polyurethane foams can be

spec’d as dielectric insulators. They can be embedded with conductive metal particles
in cases where a gasket or seal must also serve as a conductive material, as when
providing a ground connection.

Polyurethane foams become ceramic

An interesting industrial use for reticulated polyurethane foam is in the production

of ceramic filters for eliminating impurities in metal castings. Ceramic filters remove
impurities by presenting a circuitous path for the molten metal poured through them
during the casting process. In this application, the foam serves a sacrificial catalytic
substrate. The foam is coated with ceramic slurry and dried. It then is fired in a kiln
where it burns away leaving a fused ceramic filter with pore sizes ranging from 4 to
50 ppi (pores/in.).

SafeCrest reticulated polyurethane foams are designed for use in rigid and flexible
(bladder-type) fuel tanks and fuel cells (inset) in virtually any vehicle, vessel, or
aircraft where an explosion hazard may exist. The foams can also prevent
catastrophic explosions of ignited fuel vapors in the tank caused by electrical arcing,
overheating of internal components, lightning strikes, or by static electrical
discharge.

High tensile and tear strength lets reticulated polyurethane foams be cut, shaped,
tacked, stitched, laminated, and grommeted. 

Reticulated foams help form rigid ceramic filters that remove impurities when
molten metal is poured through them during the casting process. 

Hydraulic and pneumatic systems use reticulated foams to eliminate impurities in air
or fluid lines, valves, and other components.

Reticulated polyurethane foam serves in ink rollers and as ink

reservoirs or wicking in ink cartridges for computer printers.