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Polyurethane flexible foams have been widely used for automotive seat cushions because of the cushioning performance. It has been required so far to reduce the density of seat cushion foam. However improving the riding comfort of seat cushions is also considered important. In seating design, most foam properties specified by the design engineer are based upon static testing properties. However, the in-service mode of an automotive seat is dynamic rather than static. Therefore the dynamic properties are of greater importance for the comfort performance of a seat than such static properties as indentation force deflection (IFD), density, or ball rebound. The purpose of this paper is to show the systematic research results of polyurethane foam comfort properties. [1, 2, 3, and 4].

Polyurethane flexible foams have been widely used for automotive seat cushions because of the cushioning performance. It has been required so far to improve the polyurethane foam’s performances such as reducing the density and improving the static, dynamic vibration properties. Additionally, improving the functional properties such as antimicrobial properties are also considered important these days. In this article, new antimicrobial polyurethane foams for automotive seat with urushiol or cardanol extracted from a natural lacquer were prepared. Influences of agent’s concentration on the reactivity between polyol and isocyanate, mechanical properties of foams were investigated. It was observed that the urethane formation reaction was delayed a little when the amount of agent was increased. However, it was found that the mechanical properties of antimicrobial foams made using agent were similar to those of the neat polyurethane foam.