Polyurethane foam appeared on Russian market relatively recently, but in a short period it was able to become a fairly common thermal insulation material. Many owners of houses and buildings, when solving the problem of insulating walls and other surfaces, most often choose polyurethane foam. Due to increased demand, production volumes of this material are only increasing every year. There are many myths associated with this material about its benefits and negative aspects. Some of them are true, while others are pure fiction.

If we talk about the disadvantages, we note that when it comes to polyurethane foam, its flammability and toxicity are most often noted. It is extremely rare to hear about such a disadvantage as high hygroscopicity. Some argue that over time, the thermal insulation layer of this material becomes darker, and after some time it completely falls off. Another disadvantage of polyurethane foam is also stated - high cost.

Such disadvantages are reported, as a rule, by unknown sources, and the information itself is more like rumors than statements by authoritative experts. But, despite this, in order to clarify everything with the disadvantages of this material, it is worth understanding them and dispelling these myths.

Polyurethane foam is a fire hazardous material

To be honest, it really does support combustion. In accordance with the standards existing in our country, polyurethane foam belongs to the group of combustible materials - G2, G3. It also includes insulation for polymer based. If we talk about non-flammable thermal insulation materials, there are only two of them:

• basalt fiber;
• expanded clay

In the production of heat insulator a fire retardant is added to its composition, which is trichlorethyl phosphate. This allows us to say that if there is no third-party source of open fire, then combustion of this material is excluded.

This material consists of two components, which experts conventionally call A and B. The first did not contain a fire retardant in its composition until 2003, since its presence shortened the service life of the material. The fire retardant was added immediately before using the material during thermal insulation work.

Many companies found it beneficial to not use this substance at all, since it slowed down the foaming process. This led to an increase in the consumption of materials, and, consequently, an increase in the cost of work on insulating buildings. In addition, the use of a material that did not contain a fire retardant in the room in which it was used made it fireproof. Even welding work could lead to the appearance of an open fire.

At the moment, the technology for producing polyurethane foam without fire retardant has been abandoned. Manufacturers it is added during the production of insulation, and in addition to it, they also introduce effective components that provide this heat-insulating material with such a property as self-extinguishing.

Toxicity of polyurethane foam

Speaking about this quality, we note that its toxicity is the same as its flammability. If we talk in general about the safest material, then only wood and natural stone, which are used without any pre-treatment with chemicals.

Materials created from synthetic fibers and other bases of inorganic origin emit substances that cause certain harm either to the environment or human health. For this reason V regulatory documents the amount of substances released was recorded, which allow the material to be called safe. If you remember the smell of a new car, then you know what the chemical compounds present in plastic parts smell like. A familiar harmful substance, formaldehyde, which poses a health hazard, is contained in the fiberboard from which furniture is made.

If we shift the conversation to thermal insulation material, then we can say that mineral wool is the most popular heat insulator at the moment, which is environmentally friendly, contains formaldehyde. It is characterized by allergenicity, so its use in kindergartens and other institutions is prohibited.

As mentioned above, changes in polyurethane foam production technology occurred in 2003. Previously in production process chemicals were used that evaporated from finished material in a few weeks. Now this shortcoming has been eliminated. After manufacturing the PU foam, small amounts of residual gases evaporate from its surface within two to three days. After this, the material can rightfully be called environmentally friendly.

To determine the ability of a thermal insulation material to absorb moisture, experts use the following method:

• is taken raw material and is weighed;
• then it is placed under a stream of steam;
• then it is re-weighed again.

Such tests carried out with mineral wool have shown that this material is able to absorb moisture in a volume of up to 18% of its own dry weight. Another material, penoizol, is able to absorb up to 13% of its weight. If we consider high-density polyurethane foam, then under the influence of steam it can absorb only 2% of water. The obvious conclusion is that insulation made from polyurethane foam is the least hygroscopic. Use of this insulation for thermal insulation of walls:

• prevents their freezing;
• fungus will not appear on the surface of walls with such insulation;
• heat loss will be minimal when pipelines are insulated with polyurethane foam.

Important points

However, this is not without pitfalls. You should know that reducing the density of this material increases its ability to absorb moisture. If an unscrupulous contractor decides to save on material, then he can slip the client under the guise of dense insulation polyurethane foam not high density. However, even if this happens, the hygroscopicity of polyurethane foam in this case will not exceed 7% of the dry weight.

In order to carry out work on insulating a building using a material that absorbs the least amount of moisture, when purchasing it, it is necessary to give preference to high-density polyurethane foam. Also important:

• comply with operating conditions;
• purchase material only from reputable companies.

Fragility of polyurethane foam

If polyurethane foam was used to insulate the walls, and the thermal insulation layer itself does not have any protection, then during operation its destruction will occur at a rate of 1 mm/year. If a layer is applied on top oil paint, then this will extend the service life of the insulation to 30 years.

One of the features of polyurethane foam is its high adhesive properties. It can stick to almost any surface. This ensures reliable application not only on horizontal and vertical, but also on inclined surfaces. It sticks well:

• on metal;
• on the tree;
• on brick;
• on concrete.

To ensure that the material is securely fixed to the insulated surface, only one requirement needs to be met- the surface must be dry and free of grease. If the owner of the building fulfills these conditions, then during insulation, a significant force of attraction of polyurethane foam to the surface of the walls will be provided.

Polyurethane foam price

To be honest, that’s how it is. Polyurethane foam is more expensive than mineral wool and any thermal insulation material roll type. However, there are some nuances here. Included in price thermal insulation materials the costs of its installation are not included, and this is a significant part of the funds - the costs of working with slabs or sheets. But for polyurethane foam performance installation work not required, since it itself sticks to the surface. Therefore, the entire volume of thermal insulation work performed is included in its price.

polyurethane foam insulation, then he should know one more feature of it: when walls or other structures are insulated with polyurethane foam, then no need to use special membranes, which provide moisture removal into air gap, since there is no space between the surface and the insulation. Another point worth paying attention to: for a long time, polyurethane foam retains its original properties.

Polyurethane foam is a material that has many advantages. Of course, it also has certain disadvantages. However, they do not have a serious impact on the quality of insulation. It is flammable, but it supports combustion only if it is exposed to an open flame source. If there is none, then it will not cause a fire. It is toxic, but only in the first three days after production. Once the chemicals have evaporated, it becomes completely safe. Its cost at first glance is quite high. But if you compare the cost of other materials and the costs of installation work, then polyurethane foam is profitable solution for thermal insulation of buildings for various purposes.

Is polyurethane foam environmentally friendly? Is PPU harmful?

First, let's figure out what polyurethane foam is?

Polyurethane foam is a plastic obtained by thermosetting chemical reaction. The structure of this material is similar to regular soap suds, it consists of cells isolated from each other, which contain gas inside, only the cells are the same size, unlike ordinary foam. Solid polymer makes up only 3–5% of the total volume of polyurethane foam, and the remaining 95–97% is gas, which is a heat insulator.

The fact that polyurethane foam has a full range of environmental friendliness indicators is confirmed by both a number of hygienic certificates and realities. The chemical resistance of this material is indicative, which determines its long service life and indirectly confirms its environmental friendliness. Both polyurethane foam and polyurethane do not decompose, do not interact with anything, and therefore are completely inert. In addition, today the use of highly volatile ether fractions in the creation of these materials has been completely eliminated.

It should be noted that these materials do not contain asbestos, formaldehyde or other chemicals. The spraying of polyurethane foam was accompanied by checks that did not detect any harmful substances in the atmosphere of the room. The biological neutrality of polyurethane foam, which turns out to be resistant to mold and bacteria, and to rotting processes, is also indicative. This material does not cause any allergies.

When using polyurethane foam, pillows and mattresses are made; it is used to create sofas and transport seats. It is also used as thermal insulation in boilers or refrigerators, as well as in other equipment that during operation may come into contact with food products. We can use polyurethane foam even in beekeeping, where it is used to create hives modern design. It is also used in septic tanks, where it is necessary to create surfaces for colonization by bacteria - practice shows that in such conditions even stone has a shorter period of destruction than polyurethane foam.

Polyurethane foam is widely used in medicine for the manufacture of various devices, and sometimes it comes into contact not only with drugs intended for oral consumption, but also with human mucous membranes - as an example, we can consider equipment for taking impressions in dentistry and prosthetics. As a conclusion, it can be emphasized that the volume of consumption of such material by modern humanity is indeed very high, and a person can almost constantly be in contact with it.

Continuing to consider the list of advantages that this material has, it should be noted that its use as insulation for houses and other buildings also becomes advisable because rodents show complete indifference to it. Rats and mice do not try to chew this material, and their digestive systems are unable to digest it due to the mentioned reason of its chemical stability.

Also already mentioned is the fact that PPU modern style Although they are capable of burning, they themselves do not spread the fire, being self-extinguishing. There are different degrees of flammability of such materials - G1, G2, G3, and the lower the digital indicator, the slower they burn. G3 is still used most often, because its cost is lower. Low burning rate and self-extinguishing are ensured by introducing fire retardants into the composition of such material, which remain in closed capsules of the material forever - the indicator will not decrease over time.

Speaking of vapor barriers and rotting

Closed-cell polyurethane foam of decent quality does not require any vapor barrier - especially since polyurethane foam modern type have more than 92 percent closed cells, and therefore a vapor barrier is definitely not required, and such insulation will not absorb moisture.

That is, closed cells or good vapor barrier are absolutely necessary to ensure the normal functioning of insulation - especially when we talk about climates with seriously negative temperatures. But even in positive temperatures, when there is no risk of destruction of the insulation due to freezing of moisture crystals in it, closed-cell options turn out to be the most preferable, since the thermal conductivity of such a material will be stable, while open-cell will significantly increase thermal conductivity.

Porous materials such as cellulose, when exposed to constant moisture, are prone to rotting, mold, and even if it does not initially last a year or two due to use special chemistry, then it will manifest itself later. So the benefits of using polyurethane foam are completely obvious.

In cars, seats, front dashboard, various door trims, etc. are made of polyurethane foam. Bee hives are even made from polyurethane foam. All these things undergo strict quality control to ensure safety for human use. Industrial polyurethane foam is the same mattress, but it is very hard and can be stuck to a wall or even a ceiling. In the section of our website called You will find confirmation that polyurethane foam from various manufacturers does not emit harmful substances after application and polymerization, and there are simply no terrible formaldehydes and other harmful resins in polyurethane foam.

The properties of polyurethane foam allow it to be used in the construction of children's and medical institutions, in the food industry, where the requirements for air purity and fire safety are particularly stringent.

Almost no one knows that foam rubber is a polyurethane foam composition that was imported to the Land of the Soviets by the famous Scandinavian company Porolon.

Since then, the name has been assigned to it and is still practiced, since it is quite difficult to call it polyurethane foam in everyday life.

Today, when our fellow citizens are finally concerned about the harmfulness of household items, it’s time to write about the properties of this elastic material.

According to its properties, the material is an elastic, soft foam made from polyurethane. The hollow cells contain air, which explains its very low weight.

The scope of its application is quite wide, but the main areas remain heat and sound insulation, giving softness and elasticity to most household items, for example, upholstered furniture.

In the manufacturing process of foam rubber is used a large number of foam stabilizers, isocyanates, polyol, and catalysts. It is now generally accepted that these components can evaporate and cause significant harm the health of those who come into contact with them. This fact has not yet been confirmed, and the manufacturers themselves insist that all these components are in a bound state, so they simply cannot be released. If they are released, then under the influence of moisture in the air, they almost immediately decompose into harmless substances.

True, in some cases, polyurethane foam can be harmful to human health, since when burned this substance emits highly toxic gases, so the material should not be allowed to ignite.

Manufacturers, to confront high temperatures They add thermosetting substances to the composition of foam rubber, but they have not yet completely gotten rid of the flammability of polyurethane foam.

We cannot ignore the fact that the service life of foam rubber does not exceed ten years. Subsequently, the chemical substances contained in its composition begin to be actively released during the decomposition of complex compounds. These substances have pronounced carcinogenic properties, so storing polyurethane foam for more than ten years is not recommended.

A polyurethane foam mattress, unlike a latex or coconut fiber mattress, is relatively inexpensive option. Moreover, it is much more comfortable to sleep on, it is softer, but at the same time it is also good for posture. The material is breathable and you won’t sweat while you sleep, which means you won’t get any skin rashes like you would from sleeping on a material that can’t boast of breathability.

It can also be repaired with regular glue in case of a cut or delamination. Overall, from a practical point of view, this is a pretty good thing. And, if you add a nice price, it’s absolutely wonderful.

Any orthopedist can say that PU foam is much more beneficial for the spine than the same coconut... But such a number of advantages cannot appeal to those who produce more expensive products. For example, mattresses made of natural latex, based on rubber, which faded into the background with the advent of polyurethane foam, which is not at all surprising.

The fuss that has arisen around the new product is not entirely clear, since both coconut and latex mattresses also contain a lot of chemicals, they are only positioned as natural. But tell me, where does so much rubber come from in the world? But, we are not talking about it, but about polyurethane foam.

What is there in PPU that you should be afraid of?

If you take it apart chemical composition polyurethane foam, then at first glance, the mixture is indeed simply terrifying. Here's a look at what's involved in the process of making this foam, which resembles foam rubber:

• Arsenic
• Phosphorus
• Tin
• Tertiary amine
• Toluene
• Phenol
• Double isocyanite
• High molecular weight alcohol
• Silicone surfactant
• Chemical dyes

But... Just for fun, find the composition of regular baker's yeast on the Internet. The composition there will be no less interesting! And in general, if you take any non-natural substance apart, then the list chemical substances will be scary.

But in fact, when polyurethane foam has reacted and hardened, it does not release into the atmosphere any of the terrible toxins that advocates of environmentally friendly things attribute to it.

Polyurethane can release poison, in the literal sense of the word, in one case: combustion and heating above 200 degrees. But is it possible for the temperature in the apartment to rise like that? Or did you yourself, in a dream, take it and get hot?

It’s not advisable to iron it, yes. However, this applies to almost everything. Do not heat laminate, plastic, plastic, lenoleum, stretch ceiling... No matter which way you look, there is harm everywhere.

Regular glass contains lead. The dishes, no matter how you start to disassemble them into molecules, also release the most terrible substances into the food, which are not comparable to life at all. So, do you eat from clay bowls now? So there, if you look closely, you can detect a large dose of radiation. In asphalt too, in concrete too...

But this is all theory. But in practice, complaints from consumers that polyurethane foam mattress led to asthma, allergies and other things that environmentalists warn about - did not happen.

The only thing you can notice is that brand new polyurethane foam mattresses smell of phenol (smell like fresh gouache). Some people are afraid of this smell and consider it extremely toxic. But phenol disappears within three days, or even faster, and then there are no strong evaporations at all.

Conclusion

Buy, don't be afraid! Life is a harmful thing in principle, and if you believe everything, you will have to go live on a desert island and build a hut from palm leaves.

Foam rubber is the common name for polyurethane foam (PPU). It comes from the name of the Scandinavian company Porolon, which was a supplier of this material to the USSR.

Both then and now, foam rubber remains one of the most popular materials used for filling furniture, soft toys, as well as sports equipment such as gymnastic mats and modules. The reason for its popularity is the low cost of foam rubber, but this is practically its only advantage.

Currently, manufacturers who care about the health of their customers are gradually abandoning the use of foam rubber, and increasingly prefer more modern materials that meet environmental safety standards. But why is foam rubber so dangerous? Is its use really a health hazard?

Harmful qualities of polyurethane foam

Turning again to Wikipedia, you can find out that the production of foam rubber itself is potentially dangerous, because... used environmentally during the production process hazardous substances(foam stabilizers, polyols, isocyanates, various catalysts, etc.). However, manufacturers claim that these substances in the composition of foam rubber do not pose any danger, since they are in a bound state.

However, studies have confirmed that after several years of operation, the chemical compounds contained in polyurethane foam begin to decompose and be released into environment, posing a serious threat to the health and even lives of people. Scary? Of course, the substances that foam rubber releases have strong carcinogenic properties, which directly affects the occurrence of cancer.

Also among the disadvantages of foam rubber are the following:

• Fire hazard and combustion toxicity. Polyurethane foam is very flammable material, but what’s even worse is that when burned, it releases extremely dangerous substances (hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide). Of course, manufacturers are trying to reduce the fire hazard level of polyurethane foam by adding special additives, but this problem has not been eliminated 100%.
• Fragility. The material quickly loses its performance characteristics– ceases to be elastic, crumbles, sticks together.
• Absorbs odors, is poorly ventilated, which can lead to the spread of harmful microorganisms inside the material.

Sports mats with foam filling

Considering all of the above, we can conclude that foam rubber is completely unsuitable as a filler for mats, because:

• Sports mats are most often used in the gyms of children's educational and sports institutions, which means that it is children who suffer the most from negative consequences use of polyurethane foam in such products.
• Mats with foam filling pose an additional fire hazard and risk of poisoning harmful substances, released during the combustion of polyurethane foam. Naturally, in educational and sports institutions, first of all, it is necessary to eliminate such equipment, replacing it with fireproof, 100% non-toxic and environmentally friendly.
• Due to the fragility of foam rubber, mats with such a filler require relatively frequent replacement, which does not help save the budget. If equipment that becomes unusable is not replaced in a timely manner, this increases the risk of injury when playing sports.

Foam rubber is being replaced by new safe materials, for example, Holofiber, EVA material, etc. Information about