Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 44

Shop Talk Interior
Foam with a fl ourish
by Rebecca Delano
" Many people
believe that the
harder a foam feels,
the longer it will last.
This is a common
misconception. "
F
oam is everywhere. It is in
engines, rugs, mattresses, boat
seats and most things we interact
with on a daily basis. If you sit or sleep
on it, it probably has foam in it.
A brief history
Foam was originally made from latex
taken from the sap of the rubber tree.
Historically, there is evidence of foam
being used by the Mayans and Aztecs
dating back to 500 BC. While natural
latex foams are still available, their use has
been far outweighed by synthetic foam.
The fi rst petroleum-based foam was
This dash and helm pod cover was
a 2021 MFA Award of Excellence winner.
Helm pod covers are padded with a
very thin layer of foam, if any. This one
has foam with 1.5 density and a 70 ILD.
developed in 1930 by Otto Bayer, an
industrial chemist.
The onset of World War II and the
resulting shortage of essential materials
saw the development of urethane
materials for fi ber coatings and foam.
By the late 1950s, polyether polyols
appeared, laying the groundwork for
tremendous growth in the polyurethane
foam industry. Currently, the most
common types of foam are ether- and
ester-based polyurethane foams,
although there is a rise in other oilbased
" greener " foams, such as soy.
Synthetic foam
In a nutshell, synthetic foam is a mixture
of polyol, isocyanate and water
vigorously mixed together, poured
onto a three-sided moving conveyor
belt, and commonly produced in large
buns called slabstock. After these
buns cure, they are cut and shaped
into smaller pieces in a variety of
sizes, thicknesses and confi gurations.
44 Marine Fabricator | January/February 2022

Marine Fabricator January/February 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Marine Fabricator January/February 2022

Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - Cover1
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - Cover2
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 1
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 2
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 3
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 4
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 5
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 6
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 7
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Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 12
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 13
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Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 18
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 19
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 20
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 21
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 22
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Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 28
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 29
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 30
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 31
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Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 33
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 34
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 35
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Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 37
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Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 39
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 40
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 41
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 42
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 43
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 44
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 45
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 46
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 47
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 48
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - Cover3
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - Cover4
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