The Wonders of Quick-Dry Foam

 

 

Many of us have seen extravagant outdoor furniture complete with beautiful decorative pillows and cushions that can turn backyards into casual hot spots. However, I am sure that many of you have wondered how viable it is to invest in nice outdoor furniture as it is practically guaranteed to get rained on. Luckily, cushions designed to be used for outdoor furniture make use of a special type of technology known as quick-dry foam.

 

 

 

Quick-dry foam, as the name implies, dries quickly, but how? Well, quick-dry foam is an open-cell structured foam that is the most porous of all cellular foams. This means that the foam has many small open spaces within it that allow air and water to flow through much more freely. By taking a piece of quick-dry foam you can actually see the individual cells that make up the foam, as they are much larger than typical foam cells. With these large cells, less water is actually retained by the foam. With less water being retained and plenty of space of air to pass through, the foam dries much more quickly. With this quick-drying technology, this foam is perfect for outdoor furniture that may get rained on or otherwise soaked.

 

This special type of foam is made by a process known as 'zapping'. A basic foam form, otherwise known as a 'bun' is placed in a vacuumed sealed container that is filled with a particularly volatile gaseous mixture. This mixture is then ignited, setting a controlled flame burning through the foam rapidly. This burns away thin cell walls, called windows, and leaves a fibrous structure made up of 'struts' behind. This breaking down of windows while leaving behind struts can be also be done through a method known as 'quenching', which involves placing the original foam into a caustic solution of liquid that breaks down the windows over time.

 

 

 

Using quick-dry foam has numerous advantages. First and most obviously, it dries quickly which itself creates multiple micro benefits. For example, due to less water being retained quick-dry foam is excellent on combating mold and mildew growth, which can be a concern for outdoor furniture in places with a lot of rain. Another benefit of less water retention is that cushions and furniture designed out of quick-dry foam is commonly cleaner than other foam counterparts. With water and air being able to freely pass through the material, unwanted materials such as dirty or grime are more easily removed. Each of these benefits make quick-dry foam a popular choice for outdoor furniture that will not require much maintenance. However, all of these specially designed features come at a price. Quick-dry foam often comes a higher price than other furniture foams and is noticeable less dense due to the wider cell structure. This means that you could pay a higher price for a less-soft foam, leading to lower more expensive, lower quality cushions in exchange for cleaner, less worrisome cushions.

 

Overall quick-dry foam is a very interesting and impressive piece of technology and can be an excellent choice depending on your individual needs.