Polyether Foam Material Guide: Properties, Types & Applications

As a leading custom manufacturer, Frank Lowe offers a variety of different types of polyether foam that can be die cut and fabricated to best meet your application’s needs. Continue reading to learn more about polyether foam and how Frank Lowe can use our decades of experience to help you Explore, Pursue, and Create more. 

Characteristics and Properties of Polyether Foam 

Some of the most desirable attributes of polyether foam include: 

• Compressibility — It has the ability to be compressed and bounce back to its original form. 
• Cushioning — Due to its compressibility, polyether foam offers excellent cushioning capabilities. 
• Low Moisture Vapor Transmission Rate — Polyether boasts a low permeability for water vapor. 
• Flexibility — Polyether is able to bend substantially without breaking and can be easily modified. 
• Tear Resistance — Polyether possesses a high resistance to tearing as well as high tensile properties. 
• Insulation — Polyether offers the ability to prevent the loss or gain of heat with exceptional insulation properties. 
• Light-weight — The light-weight nature of polyether makes it ideal for a vast range of applications.
• Electrical Properties — Polyurethanes in general have excellent electrical insulating properties. 
• Fungal, Mold, and Mildew Resistant — Polyether foam is able to resist the growth of mildew, mold, and fungus, which makes it suitable for tropical environments. However, there are special additives you can use to reduce this characteristic. 
• Resistance to Grease, Oil, and Water — Because polyether doesn’t swell in grease oil or water, it can last for several years in subsea applications and marine environments. 
• Abrasion Resistance —Polyether offers remarkable impingement abrasion resistance that makes it the perfect solution for bumpers and curtains that may get hit head on. 
• Heat Resistance & Low Thermal Conductivity — Polyether foams are substantially less susceptible to the buildup of heat in comparison to polyester, which is why it’s used in high speed rollers where the continual reflexing generates heat. 
• Low Temperature Flexibility — Polyether foams are much less affected by colder temperatures. 
• Water and Moisture Resistance — Because of the large cellular structure of polyether, it boasts excellent hydrolytic stability. 
• Sound Absorption — Polyether foams boast the ability to absorb and dampen sound energy. 
• Vibration Dampening — Polyether foams offer strong vibration dampening capabilities.
• Economical Manufacturing Processes — Polyurethanes like polyether foams are versatile enough to produce high volume order runs; single-run, one-off parts; prototype parts, and repeat production runs. 
• Customizable — Polyether can be customized with different additives to make the material more suitable for your application. 

Applications and Industries of Polyether

Because of the vast range of desirable characteristics of polyether foam, it’s used across several industries and applications. 

Polyether foam’s inherent comfort make it the ideal solution for sports apparel as well as medical device applications. The cushioning and packaging properties of the material make it a clear choice for an array of different packaging applications. 

The large cellular structure of polyether foams prevent it from retaining moisture while promoting  greater airflow, which allows it to dry quickly. These characteristics make it suitable for a bevy of marine applications, aquarium filter media, speaker foam, outdoor patio cushioning, and air filter foam. Additional applications and uses of polyether foams include:

• Acoustics and thermal solutions
• Energy industry
• Clothing industry
• Filtration and purification equipment
• Gardening and farming industry
• Infotainment devices
• Office appliances
• Machines
• Sponges
• Surface treatment
• And more 

Different Types of Polyether Foams & Customizations 

Polyether foam is manufactured by mixing a blowing agent, polyether polyols and a catalyst to create a foamy, free-rising froth that quickly solidifies within minutes. During the manufacturing process of polyether foam, a range of different additives can be introduced to customize the material to your exact specifications. Some of the most common additives include:

• Flame-retardant additives
• Anti-static additives
• Electrostatic dissipative additives
• Antimicrobial additives
• And more 

Reticulated Polyether Foams 

At Frank Lowe, one of the most common types of polyether foams we provide is reticulated polyether. This open-cell, low-odor, lightweight material is typically used to make products for:

• Wiping, 
• Fluid management, 
• Sound absorption, 
• Filtration, and 
• Padding. 

Order Die Cut Polyether Foams 

At Frank Lowe, we’ll die cut polyether foams in an endless array of shapes and sizes based on your specifications. We offer almost 70 years of experience and are proud to be the leading provider of die cut polyether foam components and materials. 

We offer a full catalog of different polyether foams with or without additives and can provide unique solutions based on your application.  You can choose to have your polyether foam material supplied in different forms, such as die cut on a roll, kiss cut, etc. Simply tell us what you need, and Frank Lowe will work to provide a solution. 

Contact Frank Lowe for Die Cut Polyether Components

The experts at Frank Lowe will use our decades of experience to guide you to the best solution. Don’t know which additive or density will be ideal for your application? No problem. We can help. Best of all, we can send you samples of different polyether foams, so you can be certain of its performance in your application. Simply put, Frank Lowe will help you Explore, Pursue, and Create more with polyether foams. 

Contact us today to learn more or to request a sample of polyether foam.