Safe Expanding Foam

[meltz]

Hi,

I came across this forum and figured it'd be the best placed to post my question. I've got an idea for a product - the main component of this product is a piece of foam which can expand to the size of approximately an envelope but about a half inch high (lets say there will be a textual material or plastic container acting as a mold to help shape the expanding foam). The foam needs to be non-toxic, and slightly pliable (applying pressue - pushing your thumb to it would leave a slight indent that return to it's original state, and the entire envelope sized piece of foam would have a little give to it allowed it to bend lengthwise).

Prior to the foam expanding, it needs to be within a container no bigger than half a bar of soap, or half the size of one of those mini-tissue packs.

The chemicals that create this foam need to be stored in such a way that a cracking motion (think glow stick) or shaking motion (I'll need to ultimately decide on the best method) will cause the chemical reaction to make the foam expand.

The idea will only work successfully if the foam can expand by simply mixing two (or more)chemicals together, without dispensing via a pressurized can.

Does anyone know if such a type of foam exists?

Thank you.
Matt
meltznyc-dn@yahoo.com

 

[JimCasey]

The urethane foams used in packaging are 2-component. The 2 substances are mixed whe injected into the box, and then the foam expands to fill the container. Urethane is nontoxic unless burned-the combustion products are nasty.
Your trick would be to package a "shot" of the components to mix and expand when required. One other consideration: Urethane foam is really sticky until it cures.

 

[moltenmetal]

Though the cured foam may be considered non-toxic, the isocyanate reagents used to make urethane foams are quite far from non-toxic!

 

[amorrison]

Some comments/options

1.Eliminate the chemicals
Cut some type of resilient foam to the finished product dimensions - then squish it into your "bar of soak" container - might need to use some pneumatic pressure device but it could be done.
Now if the finished product had an airtight surface and a vacuum was drawn on the internal volume . . .. Permanent foam deformation might be a problem . . Maybe some "music wire" internals to reshape the foam.

2. A singular container
Allow the "thick walled" original container to expand (by some "unfolding" idea)into the final shape. Then allow the mold to be opened via a soda drink pull tab (or draw string)mold perimeter cutting device.

 

[MikeHalloran]

Banks around here used to pass out things that looked like thick brown business cards, with their logo printed on them.

When you got them wet, they expanded just as you desire.

Dried compressed sponges.





Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA