Standard test methods developed specifically for one-component foams (OCFs) are being used by manufacturers to deliver accurate and reliable product quality data for the first time. The new test methods are being developed by the OCF Technical Working Group of Feica – the Association of the European Adhesive and Sealant Industry.
The first of the series of test methods was published in February 2013 and the most recent one – for the determination of the tack-free time of an OCF canister foam – was published in October 2013. Prior to the publication of these test methods, there had been no official standards for the verification and comparison of OCF products. According to Feica, existing standards for polyurethane foams are not appropriate for OCFs, because they were developed for manufactured, cured PU foams. Consequently, they do not give reliable results, because they do not take into account the application process, which has a huge influence on the quality of the OCF.
Feica’s OCF Technical Working Group took up this challenge and started developing a new range of standard test methods, which deliver realistic, reproducible results for OCF products. All the companies represented in the Technical Working Group (Dow, Hanno-Werk, Henkel, Krimelte, Polypag, Selena, Soudal, TKK Srpenica, and tremco illbruck) have committed to using these standard methods to evaluate and communicate the various properties of their products. As a result, customers can rest assured that the data they read on product packaging and in literature provides an accurate representation of the product performance, allowing a reliable comparison of different OCF products. These standard test methods are publicly available for review and download on the Feica website: www.feica.eu/our-industry/pu-foam-technology-ocf.
Commenting on these developments, Feica Secretary General Bernard Ghyoot said, “Feica welcomes these developments, which represent an important milestone for the OCF industry in Europe. Achieving internationally recognised standards and implementing standardised test methods will help reassure customers of Feica’s OCF members that they are getting consistent quality products, measured in the most transparent and reproducible way.”