Polyurethane foam is one of 32 materials in this atlas, grouped under thermal: history, structure, measured properties, process routes, uses, safety and market — not a product catalogue.
Scores compare Polyurethane foam with the rest of the atlas on strength, heat, fire behaviour, insulation, workability and circularity. They are editorial, not certificates.
Seven chapters follow. Fire and insulation claims name test families (Euroclass, ASTM E84, ISO 5660, KS F) rather than inventing a single safety number.
Deep introduction
Deep dive: Polyurethane foam
Polyurethane foam (R-NH-COO-R′ network + blowing agent) is a family of grades whose density 30–60 kg/m³ rigid boards, heat band pyrolyses; does not melt cleanly, and fire letter typically E–B with facers; not A1.
What “the material” actually is
Polyurethane foam is sold as grades, not as a single substance. Chemistry R-NH-COO-R′ network + blowing agent, density 30–60 kg/m³ rigid boards, heat band pyrolyses; does not melt cleanly.
This atlas treats Polyurethane foam as a system: mill route, coatings, tests and the cavity it sits in.
Heat, fire and insulation
Conductivity note: λ ~0.022–0.028 W/m·K (aged PIR boards, bands). Insulation score 88/100 is relative to 32 entries — metals lose, VIPs and aerogels win.
Fire letter in editorial use: typically E–B with facers; not A1. Do not equate A1 with “safe in a blaze” or E with “illegal”. Assemblies decide.
How it is made and used
Origin: Otto Bayer 1937; fridge foam 1950s, Germany. The process chapter follows feedstock → conversion → forming → finish → install.
Uses span buildings to defence / safety. Pairings matter: mineral-wool.
Market and circularity
Producers below are landmarks, not an endorsement ranking. Prices are bands, not live quotes.
Circularity mark 32/100. Ask which scrap, which certificate, which year.
Related atlas
Around Polyurethane foam
Related atlas entries, a short glossary, and three threads that keep Polyurethane foam honest.
Decision walkthrough on Polyurethane foam: fire 28, insulation 88, and one fact already on file — not a code stamp.
Read the fire-performance mark — Fire on this hub is 28/100 — teaching comparison among atlas materials.
Read the insulation mark — Insulation is 88/100 — heat-flow story, not the same question as flame.
Sit one published fact beside them — Quick fact on file: λ: ~0.022–0.028.
Sustainability is not a fire skip — A high sustainability mark does not replace fire protection in a real assembly.
Not a building-code rating — Named tests, thickness and build-up still decide compliance — this page is literacy only.
On Polyurethane foam, fire 28 and insulation 88 answer different jobs; λ: ~0.022–0.028 grounds one real detail.
Editorial atlas marks. Not a code certificate or product approval.
Thermal mark or safety fact first?
Second lab decision on Polyurethane foam: heat-resistance 36 beside published thermal fact Conductivity — literacy, not a code stamp.
Read the heat-resistance mark — Heat resistance on this hub is 36/100 — a thermal story, different from the fire/insulation pair.
Sit one thermal fact beside it — Properties chapter lists Conductivity among published thermal rows.
Heat resistance is not a fire skip — A high thermal mark does not replace named fire tests in a real assembly.
Still not a building-code rating — Thickness, build-up and named tests decide compliance — this page teaches axes only.
On Polyurethane foam, heat 36 and Conductivity are a second thermal/safety reading after fire vs insulation.
Editorial atlas marks. Not a code certificate or product approval.
Heat line to keep
A decision from printed marks. Not a building permit.
Frequently asked questions
Is Polyurethane foam non-combustible?
Declared reaction class in this atlas: typically E–B with facers; not A1. Assemblies still need resistance tests.
Does Polyurethane foam insulate?
Thermal mark 88/100 versus the atlas. Conductivity note: λ ~0.022–0.028 W/m·K (aged PIR boards, bands).
What is the density band?
30–60 kg/m³ rigid boards
How is it made?
Origin story: Otto Bayer 1937; fridge foam 1950s (Germany).
Can it be recycled?
Circularity mark 32/100 — editorial, route-specific.
Typical melting or failure heat?
pyrolyses; does not melt cleanly
What should it be paired with?
mineral-wool: The A1 alternative with higher λ.
Where is it specified?
Buildings, transport, energy and consumer goods — see the uses chapter.
Is the fire-performance score a building-code rating?
No. It is an editorial 0–100 teaching mark among materials in this atlas. A real wall or garment needs a named product test, thickness and assembly. This page is not a lab stamp.
When should I read insulation instead of fire?
Use the insulation pick when the question is heat flow — lining, loft, or a cold-bridge — and the fire pick when the question is how the same material behaves in flame. Both numbers already sit on this hub; they answer different jobs.
Does a high sustainability score mean I can skip fire protection?
No. Sustainability here is a relative atlas mark (growth, reuse, embodied story). Bamboo and timber can still char like wood. Fire protection stays a separate specification.
Why is bamboo missing in some languages?
A language URL is published only when the seven chapters are real prose in that language. Bamboo exists in English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Spanish. French, German, Portuguese and Russian stay withheld — earlier machine drafts leaked English, so those URLs are not opened.
Icons
Otto Bayer
Germany · 1937
Otto Bayer is a reference point in the public image of Polyurethane foam.
Refrigerator cabinet
Global · 1960s–
Refrigerator cabinet is a reference point in the public image of Polyurethane foam.
PIR foil board
Europe · 1990s–
PIR foil board is a reference point in the public image of Polyurethane foam.
Spray foam gun
United States · 1970s–
Spray foam gun is a reference point in the public image of Polyurethane foam.
SIP panel
North America · 1980s–
SIP panel is a reference point in the public image of Polyurethane foam.
Car seat foam
Global · 1960s–
Car seat foam is a reference point in the public image of Polyurethane foam.
HFO molecule era
Global · 2010s
HFO molecule era is a reference point in the public image of Polyurethane foam.
Sandwich panel
Global · 1970s–
Sandwich panel is a reference point in the public image of Polyurethane foam.
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