If you’ve been looking into purchasing a new mattress in the recent past, you’ve been familiar with the term “memory foam.” Memory foam has emerged as one of the most preferred types of best queen size mattress, even though there are a wide variety of mattress designs and constructions available.
Memory foam was initially developed in the 1960s for use in NASA spacecraft seats and seatbelts. Since then, it has also found applications as cushioning in helmets and shoes, as well as usage in prostheses and wheelchair-sitting cushions. Memory foam may absorb shock and relieve pressure. Memory foam wasn’t used in mattresses for the first time until the 1990s when Fagerdala World Foams developed their flagship product, the TempurPedic Swedish mattress. Before that time, traditional spring mattresses were the norm. Since that time, the market for memory foam mattresses has experienced explosive expansion, particularly because of the proliferation of mattress-in-a-box businesses.
But could you explain exactly what memory foam is? What exactly does it consist of, how exactly does it function, and how exactly do you determine if it’s the best option for you?
You don’t need to worry about a thing. In this comprehensive introduction to memory foam and its uses, we will discuss the ins and outs of the material, how it is incorporated into mattresses and the characteristics that discerning consumers should look for when purchasing a mattress.
What Kind Of Materials Go Into Making Memory Foam?
Memory foam is made mostly out of polyurethane, which is a type of polymer (a material with big molecules that is composed of numerous tiny subunits that are similar to one another and are connected). Polyurethane can also be used to produce a wide range of materials and products.
Memory foam is a kind of polyurethane foam that is classified as “viscoelastic,” also known as low-resistance polyurethane foam (LRPu). It is produced by combining polyurethane with several different chemicals and additives, the precise composition of which is determined by the type of foam that is being manufactured.
In the end, these compounds affect two of the most important characteristics of memory foam, which are its viscosity and its elasticity. When we talk about the material being “vicious” in the context of memory foam, we are referring to the fact that it takes a significant amount of time for the material to alter its form when it is subjected to pressure or to transmit energy from one location to another. When we refer to a substance as “elastic,” we mean that it is capable of stretching or deforming, but that it will return to its original shape or size when the force that caused it to stretch is removed. These formulations and methods, which influence the way each specific memory foam product feels and functions, are typically trade secrets. However, the viscoelastic foam used in the manufacture of most memory foam mattress foundation contains at least some degree of a compound called polyether polyol. This compound contributes to the foam’s elasticity as well as its viscosity and helps give the foam its characteristic properties.
