Construction of soft polyurethane cushioning composites based on integral fabric air layer: Reaching new levels in compression and cushioning behaviors

In order to prepare a cushioning composite with good resilience and compressibility, the 3D fabric was perforated into a hexagonal honeycomb, high elasticity porous polyurethane foam was used as substrate, and the air layer structure was encapsulated with the packaging film. By changing the hexagonal side length and wall thickness of the honeycomb structure, the integral fabric air layer polyurethane buffer composite was prepared. The properties of the structure were studied, and its compressive capacity under different compressive strains was analyzed. The results show that the mechanical properties of polyurethane foam were improved after adding the integral fabric air layer structure. When the composite HPU-R1L2 (polyurethane cushioning composites with 1 cm side length and 2 cm wall thickness of hexagonal honeycomb) was compressed to 75%, its compressive capacity was 8.24 times that of PU (Polyurethane foam with 2.5% bentonite). The prepared composite HPU-R1L1 (Polyurethane cushioning composites with 1 cm side length and 1 cm wall thickness of hexagonal honeycomb) absorbed 96.7% of the energy in the dynamic impact test, indicating that the composite cushioning performance was stronger than that of polyurethane foam. The HPU composites based on the synergistic reinforcement strategy of polyurethane foam and monolithic fabric air-layer structures are an excellent candidate in the field of commodity packaging and personal protection.

Automated summary

A cushioning composite with good resilience and compressibility was prepared by perforating a 3D fabric into a hexagonal honeycomb structure, using high elasticity porous polyurethane foam as a substrate, and encapsulating the air layer structure with packaging film. The mechanical properties of the composite were significantly improved compared to polyurethane foam, making it a strong candidate for commodity packaging and personal protection.