01 Feedstock
Ore, monomer, fibre, mineral or scrap that can legally become Polyurethane foam.
Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
Strength20
Heat resistance36
Fire performance28
Insulation88
Workability74
Circularity32
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Quick answers
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
heat 36 · fire 28
Making Polyurethane foam is a chain: feedstock, conversion (Otto Bayer 1937; fridge foam 1950s), forming, heat, finish, install.
Skip a step and the properties chapter is describing a different object.
Process steps
02 Conversion
Otto Bayer 1937; fridge foam 1950s
03 Forming
Cast, spin, weave, sinter, foam, laminate or coat — the step that sets anisotropy.
04 Heat / cure
Temper, vulcanise, calcine or dry: skip it and the datasheet is fiction.
05 Finish
Coatings, sizings, facers, galvanizing, anodising, painting.
06 Install
Fasteners, adhesives, DFT, compression, dryness — site quality is a material property.
Routes
Primary
Virgin route around Germany.
Recycled / secondary
Recycling exists but quality or energy often disappoints.
Specialty
High-spec grades leave the commodity mill.
Site-applied
Coatings, sprays, casts — the factory is sometimes a jobsite.
Diagrams
Polyurethane foam process path
Feedstock to installed product.
- Feed — in
- Convert — mill
- Form — shape
- Finish — coat
- Install — out
- Spec — code
- Scrap loop — rec
Polyurethane foam heat & fire
Energy in, class out.
- Heat — in
- Polyurethane — mat
- λ / char — out
- Ignition — fire
- Euroclass — class
- Assembly — sys
Hard limits
Envelope
Melting/softening pyrolyses; does not melt cleanly; conductivity λ ~0.022–0.028 W/m·K (aged PIR boards, bands).
Environment
Moisture, UV, chlorides, alkalis or oxygen — pick the one that actually kills Polyurethane foam.
Code
Fire class typically E–B with facers; not A1 is a starting letter, not a wall rating.
Process energy and scrap quality belong in the carbon passport, not in a footnote.
Keep exploring
More in Thermal
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Mineral wool
Melted rock or glass spun into A1 batts — the default non-combustible insulation of codes.
Overall 69 📦Vacuum insulated panel
A sealed vacuum sandwich — λ around 0.004–0.008 W/m·K until the envelope leaks.
Overall 44 🕯️Phase-change material
Latent-heat packets that flatten temperature swings — not a substitute for λ insulation, a complement.
Overall 36