Solid Foams at Boyd

Foam and sponge rubber are compressible, resilient, lightweight materials that help insulate, absorb shock and impact, damp noise and vibration, and seal gaps and joints. Foams can be closed-cell, more suited to sealing applications, or open-celled, which are typically better for damping applications. Both come in a vast range of base chemistries, densities, thicknesses, and additional properties to help meet specific product requirements.

Boyd’s proprietary foam formulation, SOLIMIDE® Foams, is an extremely lightweight, broad temperature range, fire resistant foam that is ideal for thermal and acoustic insulation. We leverage our foam material science expertise broadly across our strategic partnerships with foam innovators to guide foam solutions optimized for a variety of performance needs.

rolled spiral pastel green sponge foam material

Featured Foam: SOLIMIDE®

SOLIMIDE® Foams are a high performance, lightweight, open-celled polyimide foam formulated and converted at Boyd Corporation. With excellent thermal and acoustic properties, enhanced fire protection, and safety characteristics, SOLIMIDE® Foams are ideal for a broad range of critical applications from battery insulation and thermal runaway protection, noise damping and air diversion in data center racks, and heating jacket insulation. Lightweight characteristics of SOLIMIDE® Foams create significant weight savings compared to products with similar thermal, acoustic, and insulation performance, ideal in transportation, aerospace, and marine installations. SOLIMIDE® exhibits the best blend of weight, insulative properties, fire resistance, non-toxicity, and our best-in-class operating temperature range.

Foam Materials

Foam Material

Subcategory

Key Characteristics

Products & Industries

Conductive Foam

Open

Lightweight
Compressible and Resilient
Electrically conductive

Electromagnetic interference shielding for electronics, Electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection

Foam Tape

Open

Adhesive

Melamine

Open

Trade Names: Basotect, Vixum,
Low Density,
Thermal Insulation,
Sound Absorption,
Flame Retardant.

Acoustic Insulation,
Pipe and Duct insulation,
Railway and bullet train insulation

Polyester

Open

Derived from Polyurethane,
Acts as an evaporative surface​,
Moderately Durable​,
Washable and reusable

Reticulate-Filter Foam​Common Filter Media,
Cleaning up oil spills,
Collecting vaporized oils from industrial equipment.

Polyether

Open

Common Trade names: Poron, Boyd MCUF
Derived from Polyurethane
Excellent Resistance to Compression Set​
Durable, long term performance
Good vibration damping/impact resistance​
Flame Retardant: UL HBF
Easy to Convert​
Easy to Laminate​
Moderately Expensive​
Moderate Temperature Range

Medical devices, packaging, filters, acoustic and thermal insulation.

Polyimide, SOLIMIDE®

Open

Lightweight
Fire Resistance Exceeding FAR 25.856 specifications
Minimal Smoke Generation
Heat and Pressure Formable
Flexible and Stable at Cryogenic Temperatures
Hydrolytic Stability and Non-Wicking
Non-Toxic and Formaldehyde Free
Low Off-Gassing
Does Not Support Microbial Growth
Self-Supporting

Hyperscale computing and cloud servers, aerospace thermal insulation, eMobility battery protection and insulation, heat jacket insulation, marine insulation.

Polyurethane

Open

Either classified as Polyester or Polyether Polyurethane
Wide temperature range
Thermally and Acoustically Insulating
Mold and fungus resistant

Seals and gaskets, flexible seating cushions, rigid thermal and acoustic insulation panels.

EPDM

Open, Closed

Can be Extruded​
Resistance to heat, acids, alkalis, salts, chlorine solutions​
High dielectric strength​
Synthetic rubber​
Vibration damping

Automotive insulation, Automotive weather seals​, Door seals, Window seals, Trunk seals, Hood seals​.

Ethylene Vinyl Acetate, EVA

Open, Closed

Retains flexibility and resilience
Rapid recovery from compressions
Low-water absorption
Thermal and acoustic insulation
Vibration and impact absorption
Weather​ and Chemical Resistance

Appliances, electronics, medical and health care, automotive applications.

Chloroprene (Neoprene) Blends

Open, Closed

Meets government specifications​
Insulation​
Electrical insulation​
General good chemical stability​
Maintains flexibility over wide temperature range

Laptop sleeves, Orthopedic braces, Gaskets, Weatherstripping, Packaging, Closure seals​

Polypropylene

Open, Closed

Expanded Polypropylene foam, EPP foam
Durable, high tear strength
Recyclable
Lightweight
Flexible

Insulation and cushioning, Automotive interior applications, HVAC insulation

Silicone

Open, Closed

High Temperature range exceeding 204ºC (400ºF)​
UL Rated Flame Resistance 94 V-0 and 94 HF-1​
Low toxic emission when exposed to fire​
Excellent resistance to ozone and UV​Fire retardant thermal insulation
Vibration isolation in electronic components

Dust and fluid ingress, outdoor gaskets, cushioning and vibration management, acoustic insulation in automotive, mass transit, and marine applications.

Nitrile

Closed

Buna-N, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Rubber, NBR,
Oil and UV resistance
Resists water
Good abrasion and tear resistance
Excellent compression set

Broad Application Range, Automotive and Aerospace fuel hoses, gaskets.

Styrene Butadiene

Closed

Buna-S, SBR
Shock absorption and vibration dampening
Flexible and resilient
Resistant to wear and weak acids
High abrasion resistance

Gaskets and weatherstripping, Vehicle Interiors.

Epichlorohydrin

Closed

ECH, ECO
Excellent chemical resistance
Excellent oil resistance
Excellent weather resistance
Large operating temperature range low gas permeability
Good compression set
Good heat and mineral oil resistance

Automotive Gaskets, Weatherproofing, Vibration Isolation.

Natural Rubber Foam

Closed

Isoprene
Excellent tear and abrasion resistance
Compression set resistance
Good non-skid properties

Vibration reduction

Polyethylene

Closed

Shock Absorbing
Moisture/Air Seal​
Solvent Resistant​
Range of Colors​
Lightweight​
Widely Available​
Narrow Temperature Exposure​
Takes Compression Set

Shock absorption, Thermal Insulation, Aerospace Noise Reduction, Packaging.

Polystyrene

Closed

EPS Foam
Moisture Resistant
Durable
Thermally Insulating
Dimensional Stability
Lightweight

Thermal Insulation, Automotive Sound Dampening, Packaging.

PVC Sponge

Closed

Also called Polyvinyl Chloride, Vinyl​
Shock Absorber​ or Sound Damper​
Resilient​, Soft​
Conforms to irregular surfaces and curves​
Ideal alternative to low permeable urethane​
Able to make long life seal against air, moisture, light and dust penetration​
Inherently resistant to fire, UV rays, most chemicals, acids and solvents

RV seals​, Automotive gaskets and seals, Marine and Transportation.

Closed Cell and Open Cell Foam Options at Boyd

Boyd maintains an immense array of closed cell and open cell foam options with varying performance characteristics to meet the needs of a wide range of temperature and environmental exposure applications. Need a waterproof acoustic insulator? No problem. A flame retardant, environmentally friendly thermal insulator flexible at cryogenic temperatures? Also no problem. Our vast material selection expertise combined with advanced precision converting technologies enables Boyd to provide the optimal foam for desired compression force deflection combined with additional materials like pressure-sensitive adhesives and plastic films for a fully customized, complete sealing solution.

examples of foam
converted SOLIMIDE® Foam

Overcoming our Customers’ Challenges

Foam is such an integral part of how Boyd solves problems for customers, we have our own non-flammable, lightweight, high performance polyimide foam material, called SOLIMIDE® Foam, ideal for acoustic and thermal insulation applications. Our foam solutions reduce your total cost of ownership by solving technical challenges in a streamlined solution for easy assembly and installation.

Optimal Foam for Your Application

Boyd’s strategic supply partnerships with the world’s greatest innovators in foam technology span up to seven decades. Our global footprint provides access to some of the most exciting technology leaders with regional development. We are engineered material experts – able to match your performance needs to the inherent material characteristics of thousands of foam options in the market today with the design expertise to customize the utilization of the optimal foam for your application through design for manufacturing. And because our manufacturing technologies are globally replicated and scalable, we can support your sealing, cushioning, and energy management needs using foam from three continents.

converted foam products

Have questions? We're ready to help!