General Purpose RIGID-FOAM
Grade
Best-in-class insulation core for panels, cold-chain and spray-applied insulation; not a load-bearing structural material.
Values for the RIGID-FOAM condition
Other General Purpose grades and fills
General Purpose is listed in 15 conditions; see the grade overview at General Purpose.
Compare all 15 grades and fillsHide
| Grade · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
slabstock/moulded PU foam (~30–60 kg/m³) | For cushioning, seating, packaging and acoustic absorption where load-bearing is minimal. | 0.15 | 150 | ||
RIGID-FOAMThis page closed-cell PU/PIR insulation (~30–60 kg/m³) | Best-in-class insulation core for panels, cold-chain and spray-applied insulation; not a load-bearing structural material. | 0.3 | 6 | ||
Shore A 40 | Choose for soft printing/conveying rolls, vibration pads and gaskets needing high conformability. | 18 | 700 | 10 Shore D | |
Shore A 60 | Good compromise of cushioning and load capacity for rolls, wipers and shock pads. | 30 | 620 | 16 Shore D | |
FR V-0 | Specify for cable jacketing, rail/transport interiors and electrical parts needing UL 94 V-0. | 30 | 400 | 35 Shore D | |
ESD / antistatic polyurethane | Carbon-black or ionic-additive grade for rollers, wheels and mats in electronics and explosive-atmosphere areas. | 32 | 400 | 35 Shore D | |
Lubricated / low-friction PU | Pick where sliding wear or stick-slip is the problem — dynamic seals, wear strips, guide rails. | 34 | 350 | 38 Shore D | |
Shore A 70 | Standard hardness for drive rollers, scrapers and low-noise wheels. | 35 | 580 | 22 Shore D | |
TPU polyether-based | Use where parts see hot water, humidity or microbial attack, or must stay flexible below −40 °C. | 38 | 560 | 85 Shore A | |
GP-A80Default GP Shore A 80 | Default all-round grade for rollers, pads, bushings and seals needing high abrasion and tear resistance with useful flexibility. | 40 | 520 | 30 Shore D | |
TPU polyester-based | Melt-processable grade for injection-moulded and extruded parts (hose, cable jacket, wheels) needing top abrasion and oil resistance. | 45 | 500 | 35 Shore D | |
Shore A 90 | Pick for heavy-load wheels, mill liners, cyclone parts and stripper plates where abrasion and load dominate over flexibility. | 48 | 450 | 40 Shore D | |
Shore D 60 | For structural bushings, dies, prototype tooling and stripper/forming pads that must hold shape under high load. | 50 | 300 | 60 Shore D | |
Shore D 75 | Rigid unfilled PU for machinable tooling blocks, jigs, fixtures and cast prototype parts. | 55 | 30 | 75 Shore D | |
30% glass-fiber reinforced rigid PU / RIM | Structural RIM/cast grade for stiff, dimensionally stable housings and panels replacing sheet metal. | 80 | 4 | 82 Shore D |
What is General Purpose RIGID-FOAM?
General Purpose RIGID-FOAM is General Purpose in the RIGID-FOAM grade — best-in-class insulation core for panels, cold-chain and spray-applied insulation; not a load-bearing structural material. General Purpose RIGID-FOAM has a tensile strength of 0.3 MPa (0.0435 ksi), weaker than 100% of polyurethane grades. Elongation at break is 6% and the elastic modulus is 0.01 GPa (0.001 Msi). General Purpose RIGID-FOAM has a density of 0.04 g/cm³ (0.0014 lb/in³), lighter than 100% of polyurethane grades. Its glass-transition temperature is -35°C (-31 °F). GP-A80 is the default condition FabDigit quotes; RIGID-FOAM is available on request or by drawing note.
Advantages
- Lightweight — 0.04 g/cm³ (0.0014 lb/in³), better than 100% of polyurethane grades
- High service temperature — 100°C (212 °F), better than 90% of polyurethane grades
- Good UV / weathering resistance — 35/100, better than 83% of polyurethane grades
- Forms and bends easily — 15/100, better than 75% of polyurethane grades
Limitations
- Poor heat conductor — 0.02 W/m·K (0.0127 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 100% of polyurethane grades
- Absorbs moisture — dry before molding — 1.5%, worse than 100% of polyurethane grades
- High mold shrinkage — 1%, worse than 89% of polyurethane grades
- Low stiffness — 0.01 GPa (0.001 Msi), worse than 86% of polyurethane grades
- Limited ductility — 6%, worse than 83% of polyurethane grades
General Purpose RIGID-FOAM properties
Typical room-temperature values for General Purpose RIGID-FOAM; 20 are specific to this condition. Other listed values are General Purpose reference data and may not represent this condition. Bars are the position among polyurethane grades.
Physical4
General Purpose RIGID-FOAM has a density of 0.04 g/cm³ (0.0014 lb/in³), lighter than 100% of polyurethane grades. Its glass-transition temperature is -35°C (-31 °F).
Mechanical10
General Purpose RIGID-FOAM has a tensile strength of 0.3 MPa (0.0435 ksi), weaker than 100% of polyurethane grades. Elongation at break is 6% and the elastic modulus is 0.01 GPa (0.001 Msi).
Thermal8
General Purpose RIGID-FOAM is rated for continuous service to 100°C (212 °F). It conducts heat at 0.02 W/m·K (0.0127 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 100% of polyurethane grades. Thermal expansion is 180 µm/m·K (100 µin/in·°F).
Electrical7
General Purpose RIGID-FOAM is an electrical insulator with a dielectric strength of 22 kV/mm (558.8 V/mil) and a resistivity of 1×10¹¹ Ω·m.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is very good (80/100), better than 82% of polyurethane grades. UV resistance is fair.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of General Purpose RIGID-FOAM takes about 105 MJ of energy and emits 5 kg of CO₂ — more than 64% of polyurethane grades. Typical recycled content is 3%.
Manufacturability6
General Purpose RIGID-FOAM's machinability is good (60/100, better than 52% of polyurethane grades); weldability not recommended (5/100); formability poor (15/100).
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Confirm any required mill or lot documentation when quoting.
Working with General Purpose RIGID-FOAM
Is General Purpose easy to machine?
Machines like a tough rubber: use very sharp positive-rake carbide or single-flute tools, high surface speed with low feed pressure, air or water-mist cooling, and support thin walls to avoid deflection and tearing; hard D-scale grades cut almost like a rigid plastic.
Can General Purpose be welded?
Cast (thermoset) PU cannot be welded — join by adhesive bonding with polyurethane/epoxy or cyanoacrylate after abrasion and primer; TPU grades weld well by hot-plate, HF/ultrasonic and hot-air methods.
Can General Purpose be formed, bent or molded?
Open-cast, centrifugal or RIM processing of prepolymer at 70–110 °C mould temperature with post-cure 8–16 h at 100 °C; TPU is injection-moulded or extruded at 185–225 °C melt and must be dried 2–3 h at 80–100 °C to avoid hydrolysis and bubbles.
What surface finishes work on General Purpose?
Not platable or anodizable; parts are usually used as-cast or ground/lathe-finished, and can be painted with 2K polyurethane paints after solvent wipe and light abrasion — adhesion to metal cores requires blasting plus a PU bonding primer.
General Purpose chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| MDI (4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate)TDI or aliphatic HDI/H12MDI used in some grades | 20 – 40 | 30 |
| chain extender (1,4-butanediol / MOCA / sets hard-segment content and hardness | 3 – 10 | 6 |
| catalyst, antioxidant, hydrolysis stabil | 0.2 – 2 | 1 |
| glass fiber0–30% in reinforced RIM/rigid variants | ≈ 0 | 0 |
| polyester or polyether polyoladipate polyester, PTMEG or PPG; determines hydrolysis and low-temperature behaviour | ≥ 50 (balance) |
General Purpose RIGID-FOAM — frequently asked
What is General Purpose RIGID-FOAM used for?
General Purpose RIGID-FOAM is typically used for housings, enclosures and fixtures. In short: everyday rigid cast PU; ABS-like feel.
What is the tensile strength of General Purpose RIGID-FOAM?
General Purpose RIGID-FOAM has a typical tensile strength of 0.3 MPa (0.0435 ksi) — weaker than 100% of polyurethane grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 15 listed tempers.
Is General Purpose RIGID-FOAM easy to machine?
Reasonably — machinability is rated good (60/100, better than 52% of polyurethane grades). Machines like a tough rubber: use very sharp positive-rake carbide or single-flute tools, high surface speed with low feed pressure, air or water-mist cooling, and support thin walls to avoid deflection and tearing; hard D-scale grades cut almost like a rigid plastic.
Can General Purpose RIGID-FOAM be welded?
Not readily — weldability is rated not recommended (5/100). Cast (thermoset) PU cannot be welded — join by adhesive bonding with polyurethane/epoxy or cyanoacrylate after abrasion and primer; TPU grades weld well by hot-plate, HF/ultrasonic and hot-air methods.
What surface finishes work on General Purpose RIGID-FOAM?
Not platable or anodizable; parts are usually used as-cast or ground/lathe-finished, and can be painted with 2K polyurethane paints after solvent wipe and light abrasion — adhesion to metal cores requires blasting plus a PU bonding primer.
Can General Purpose RIGID-FOAM be formed, bent or molded?
Open-cast, centrifugal or RIM processing of prepolymer at 70–110 °C mould temperature with post-cure 8–16 h at 100 °C; TPU is injection-moulded or extruded at 185–225 °C melt and must be dried 2–3 h at 80–100 °C to avoid hydrolysis and bubbles.
What is the maximum service temperature of General Purpose RIGID-FOAM?
General Purpose RIGID-FOAM is rated for continuous use to about 100°C (212 °F), and briefly to 120°C. Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
Can FabDigit make parts in General Purpose RIGID-FOAM?
Yes — General Purpose RIGID-FOAM is available for urethane casting with instant online pricing. Upload a STEP file to get a price and a DFM check.
Sources
- ASM Engineered Materials Handbook, Vol. 2: Engineering Plastics — ASM International (1988)
- Polyurethane Handbook (Oertel) — Hanser (1994)
- Desmopan / Texin TPU product datasheets — Covestro (2023)
- Adiprene / Vibrathane cast prepolymer selector guides — LANXESS (Chemtura) (2022)
- Elastollan TPU material properties brochure — BASF (2023)
- CAMPUS plastics database — TPU records — CWFG (2024)
- ASTM D412 / D624 / D395 / D2240 rubber test methods — ASTM (2022)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.