Foam SpecsThere are many specifications that are used to describe the physical properties of foams.
Two of the most fundamental properties of foam are, Density and Indentation Force Deflection. These two properties can be very helpful when selecting a particular foam, and apply to all flexible foams. The majority of the other specifications that describe foam are more specific to assessing a material’s suitability for a given application, and there are too many to discuss in a short article.
When referring to foam, density is measured in the same way as it is with other substances. It refers to the mass per unit of volume. It is usually measured in pounds per cubic foot. For example, if you had a piece of foam that was 12” x 12” x 12” and had a density of 1 lb/cu ft, the piece would weigh one pound. Also, foam with a density of 1 lb/cu ft is usually referred to as “1 pound” foam. A common mistake is to equate foam density with firmness. In fact, foam can be very dense and very soft at the same time, or have a very low density and be very firm.The best measure of a foam’s firmness is it’s Indentation Force Deflection or IFD. This measures the foam’s load bearing ability. IFD is usually measured in pounds, and is measured as the force required to compress a foam sample of a specified size to a specified percentage of it’s original height. When comparing values, it is important to be aware that values are sometimes given for different compression percentages.
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