Viscoelastic polyurethane foams with the addition of mint

Monika Auguścik , Joanna Ryszkowska , Leonard Szczepkowski , Dominik Kwiatkowski , Dorota Kołbuk-Konieczny , Joanna Szymańska

Abstract

The article presents an assessment of the possibilities of producing viscoelastic open cell polyurethane (PUR) foams produced with a natural filler in the form of mint leaves. PUR foams containing from 10 to 30 wt % of mint were produced. Chemical structure, thermal and mechanical properties of the foams were assessed. It was found that the filler containing 7 wt % of water caused significant changes in the foam characteristics. In composite foams, the content of urea and hydrogen bonds increased with higher mint contents. The hardness and comfort factor of composite foams also increased. The introduction of a filler containing a significant amount of water caused a change in the porosity and wall thickness of composite foams resulting in a significant increase in their permanent deformations.