Hi all,
I am in the market to buy a mattress for my family and is wondering if anyone can explain the difference between polyfoam and memory foam? Seems like many companies are moving towards using more of the polyfoam over memory foam.
Thanks!
Hi Kevmona,
Good question! Technically, memory foam is a subset of polyurethane foam, albeit with different properties.
Polyfoam is produced by reacting an isocyanate and with polyol in presence of a catalyst, water and other additives. Memory foam is produced in the same manner, but through the manipulation of catalysts and surfactants, partially open cells can be produced, which help create the slow-recovery part of the memory foam process (air is slower in moving in and out of the foam). Another way to create a memory foam (more common) is to manipulate the catalysts and polyols to control the viscoelastic polymer structure, which changes the hydrogen bonding and the glass transition effects in the polyurethane soft phase. So the viscous nature of visco-elastic foam is hence altered. I was reading an article from a chemical R&D director which stated succinctly that the memory foam is designed on purpose to be a poorly performing spring (polyfoam is a polymeric spring).
Memory foam in general has very little resilience (springiness) and is very good at energy absorption of motion. Polyfoam in general will be more resilient and is produced in a wider range of levels of plushness.
While research is ongoing to make different types of memory foam that are more responsive and breathable, there is a new trend that some manufactures are leaning toward to the use of some of the newer high performance polyfoams that can be made quite soft nut in higher densities without the viscous nature of memory foam and with the addition of extra breathability.
Phoenix
Thanks Pheonix for the thorough response. It definitely helps me with my quest to the perfect mattress.
Hi Kevmona,
You’re very welcome.
Phoenix