Memory foam is one of the stand out inventions of the twentieth century. Since its first development by NASA in the 1970s, memory foam has been used in the latest sleep technology developments with the introduction of the memory foam mattress.
NASA developed memory foam in order for it to act as a high tech seat coating that would improve crash protection for astronauts and pilots. The temperature sensitive and pressure relieving qualities of memory foam made it the ideal product for them.
Since this development, memory foam has been used in a range of different industries including the medical, car, bedding and shoe industry. It has radically changed the bedding market as this type of mattress became widely popular thanks to its undeniable comfort and support.
So, what materials are used to make a memory foam mattress? Read on to learn about this!
What materials are used to make memory foam?
The major known ingredients used to make a memory foam mattress are polyurethane (polyol) and additional chemicals including diisocyanate and water. The combination of these three elements work together to give a memory foam mattress it’s density and velocity as well as offering greater support.
Let’s dive in and see what exactly these materials are, and how they’re used to manufacture the memory foam that makes a memory foam mattress.
Polyurethane
Polyurethane is the main ingredient in a memory foam mattress. Polyurethane is an alcohol containing multiple hydrogen, or hydroxyl groups. It is a lightweight material that is made up primarily of compounds derived from petrochemicals and is a synthetic blend of organic compounds. The benefits of polyurethane can be easily compressed and it’s structure adds softness and support to a memory foam mattress.
Diisocyanate
Diisocyanate is a chemical compound made up of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen. It is used in the production of polyurethanes to enhance their structure. For the manufacture of bedding, more specifically toluene diisocyanate (tdi) is used. The addition of diisocyanate in the creation of a memory foam mattress enables the mattress to be more durable, comfortable and supportive.
Now we know the materials used, next we need to know how these materials work together to make memory foam?
How is memory foam made?
Memory foam is made in a very careful, multi-step process. The process includes three chemicals, polyurethane, diisocyanate and water being mixed together, they then produce an exothermic reaction with each other, creating a bubbling mix. The mixture is poured into a mould and allowed to set, which only takes a few minutes. After this it can be cut and shaped with ease.
The combination of these three elements causes the foam to rise, with an open cell structure that gives memory foam its unique quality of being able to spring back slowly from pressure.
Are all Memory Foams Equal?
All foams are not created equally. That's why from day one we’ve developed and manufactured everything that goes into the Ergoflex™ mattress in-house, ourselves. By controlling the production and specification of our foams we can ensure that our mattresses deliver a higher level of performance than those made by 'off-the-shelf' foam producers - delivering superior support and comfort while lasting longer. Indeed, in the majority of cases, the technical specifications of the foams sold to mattress brands by wholesale producers simply don't come close to those achieved by Ergoflex™.
Our decision to take the more complex route of creating our own proprietary higher density specification foams is one that every Ergoflex™ customer feels the benefit of every single night, for the many years that they’ll be enjoying their mattress.
View our Ergoflex 5G Memory Foam Mattress and learn more about it’s materials here.
