Development of Deproteinized Natural Rubber Latex Foam for Seat Cushions

Abstract

In the transportation industry, seat cushions are crucial since they are directly responsible for the comfort and safety of the occupant. In this study, recently developed deproteinized natural rubber (DPNR) latex foam is used to make seat cushions for the first time through the Dunlop batch foaming process. A CONFORMat™ pressure sensor system and a mannequin were used to investigate the pressure-relief performance of seat cushions made from DPNR latex foam. Flexible polyurethane (PU) and memory foam (PM) were used as a comparison. The study found that DPNR latex foam has a lower peak pressure value than PU foam, comparable to PM foam. The vibration transmissibility properties of the foam samples were examined using a UCON VT-9008 vibration machine according to ASTM D3580-95. DPNR latex foam has the lowest attenuation frequency, which could be related to the low stiffness and high resilience properties of the material. Overall, the findings suggest that the novel DPNR latex foam has both excellent pressure-relief and vibration isolation performance, making it an ideal candidate material for seat cushions intended for the transportation industry.