Cleaner Technologies Substitutes
Assessment Case Studies:
Foam Fabrication
EPA 744-R-00-007
June 2000
Bulletin Contents
Description of the foam fabri-
cation industry
Case study on Foam Craft
Inc, a foam fabricator in
Cerritos, CA
Case study on Prestige, a
foam fabricator in North
Carolina
Case study on Latex
International, in Santa Fe
Springs, CA
Case study on Hickory
Springs, a flexible slabstock
polyurethane foam manufac-
turer
Alternatives to Chlorinated
Solvent Adhesives in the
Foam Fabrication Industry
The Institute for Research and Technical Assistance (IRTA), a
nonprofit organization located in Santa Monica, California, analyzed
the cost and performance of alternative adhesive technologies used by the
furniture and sleep products industries. This project was sponsored by the
U.S. EPA with a grant from the Design for the Environment (DfE)
Program. The Cleaner Technologies Substitutes Assessment (CTSA) is a
partnership with industry including Southern California Edison (SCE)
and the Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers®
(AWFSS).
Industry Description
Flexible slabstock polyurethane foam is produced by 23 companies in
about 75 pouring plants in the United States. In 1977, approximately
830 million pounds of slabstock foam were produced. By 1998, slab-
stock foam production doubled to about 1.6 billion pounds.
Flexible slabstock foam is fabricated (cut and shaped) into pieces to be
used in carpet underlay, furniture, bedding, packaging, transportation
CTSA: Foam Fabrication 1
-------
Flexible slabstock foam manufac-
tured at a pouring plant.
About IRTA
IRTA is a nonprofit
organization established
in 1989 to assist
companies in adopting
low- and non-solvent
technologies. IRTA
provides technical
assistance in general
and precision cleaning,
drycleaning, paint
stripping and coating,
adhesive and ink
operations.
seating, and other products where a durable and
resilient cushioning material is required.
Many foam manufacturers are vertically integrated and
have on- or off-site foam fabrication operations using
the foam stock they manufacture. Flexible foam manu-
facturers fabricate about half of the foam produced in
their own facilities. The other half is purchased by
independent fabricators who cut and shape it into vari-
ous products. There are approximately 350 foam fabri-
cation plants in the United States. All foam fabricators
perform fabrication services for other companies that manufacture bed-
ding, upholstered furniture and other products.
Some of the foam is fabricated using adhesives and some is not. In many
cases, the foam requires a particular shape or a particular feel. During
fabrication, several different densities of foam or other materials, like
polyester fiber, are bonded together to form a particular shape with spe-
cific characteristics. The foam used in sofa arms, for example, does not
require adhesive because it has the proper shape and density. In contrast,
pieces of foam are cut then bonded together with adhesive to achieve the
proper shape for sofa seat cushions. It is estimated that about one-third
of the foam used in furniture manufacture and five percent of the foam
used in bedding manufacture requires adhesive in the fabrication opera-
tion.
Adhesive Alternatives
In the 1980s and early 1990s, most of the adhesive used by foam fabrica-
tors was based on 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA), a chlorinated solvent.
TCA was an effective carrier for the adhesive because it evaporates rapid-
ly leaving an instant bond, it is fairly low in toxicity, it does not have a
flash point, and it is not classified as a Volatile Organic Compound
(VOC) that contributes to photochemical smog.
In the 1990s, TCA was designated as a class one ozone depleting sub-
stance and, in 1996, its production was banned for that reason. Although
TCA inventory was still available, the chemical had become very expen-
sive because of a Federal tax on ozone depleting substances. Virtually all
adhesive formulators stopped making TCA adhesives and began offering
adhesives based on methylene chloride (METH), also a chlorinated sol-
2 GTSA: Foam Fabrication
-------
vent. Like TCA, METH evaporates quickly, does not have a flash point
and is not classified as a VOC. However, METH is a suspected carcino-
gen. In 1997, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) issued a regulation on METH that lowered the worker exposure
level from 500 ppm to 25 ppm measured as an 8-hour time weighted
average. The regulation also set an action level at 12.5 ppm. Companies
with worker exposure above that level are required to institute monitor-
ing and medical surveillance. The regulation was effective for foam fab-
ricators with more than 150 employees in April, 1999 and for fabricators
with less than 150 employees in April, 2000. Many foam fabricators
have converted to alternative adhesives because they do not believe they
can meet the new worker exposure levels for METH. Other fabricators
are testing alternatives and still others have not done anything to address
the changing regulatory requirements. A few fabricators plan to contin-
ue using METH adhesives.
In the early 1990s, the formulators developed one-part and two-part
water-based adhesives and many foam fabricators, particularly in
Southern California, began testing them. In Southern California, METH
is classified as a toxic and could not be used when the formulators
stopped using TCA adhesives. The early one-part water-based adhesives
were based exclusively on natural latex and they did not bond instantly
like the solvent-based adhesives. The two-part adhesives were difficult
to use in equipment but did bond instantly. Because they were much
more expensive than the one-part adhesives, however, the foam fabrica-
tion industry did not adopt them. At this stage, new one-part water-based
adhesives composed of natural latex and a small amount of syn-
thetic polymers are available. These adhesives bond much more
rapidly than the older one-part adhesives that are based exclu-
sively on latex. Many California foam fabricators have convert-
ed to these new one-part latex/synthetic water-based adhesives.
Another alternative is an adhesive based on acetone, a non-chlo-
rinated chemical. Acetone is low in toxicity and like TCA and
METH, readily evaporates leaving a quick bond. It does have a
very low flash point, however, and measures must be taken to
minimize the chance of fire or explosion. The National Fire
Protection Association (NFPA) has rated acetone as an NFPA
704 level 3 flammability hazard. State building codes and fire
codes are based on NFPA guidelines. The codes vary according to loca-
Mention of trade
names, companies, or
commercial products
does not constitute
endorsement or
recommendation for
use by either the U.S.
Environmental
Protection Agency or
other firms,
organizations, or
individuals who have
participated in the
preparation of this
publication.
:
-
New one-part latex/synthetic
waterbased adhesives bond
more rapidly.
CTSA: Foam Fabrication 3
-------
About SCE
SCE, the flagship of the
Edison International
family of companies, is
the nation's second
largest investor-owned
electric utility company.
Central to the growth of
the region's economy,
SCE continues its
decades-old commitment
to assist businesses
seeking to start, expand,
or relocate to its service
territory.
About AWFSS
AWFS® was incorporated
to fulfill a major need to
represent the interests of
companies and
individuals who supply
the home and
institutional furnishings
manufacturing industries.
Today, AWFS® has an
international membership
that includes
manufacturers and
distributers of machinery,
hardware, lumber,
upholstery materials,
bedding, wood products
and other supplies to
furniture and cabinet
manufacturers.
tion and local fire departments have regulations that affect the amount of
the adhesive that can be stored, require explosion-proof motors and high
air flow ventilation systems. Some formulations based on acetone also
contain other chemicals like heptane, hexane, and mineral spirits. The
other chemicals in these formulations are classified as VOCs.
Another alternative is an adhesive based on n-propyl bromide (nPB).
This chemical, like TCA and METH, evaporates readily and has no flash
point. It has unknown but likely high toxicity. nPB is structurally sim-
ilar to other brominated chemicals that are carcinogens or have repro-
ductive toxicity problems. nPB-based adhesives used by fabricators
contain some 2-bromopropane (2-BP) as a contaminant. 2-BP is toxic
and has caused reproductive problems in Korean workers. nPB is cur-
rently classified as a VOC and it also contributes to stratospheric ozone
depletion. OSHA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) have nominated nPB and 2-BP for carcinogenicity and
reproductive toxicity testing.
In Southern California, VOC regulations are very stringent and fabrica-
tors cannot use adhesives based on nPB or the acetone adhesives blend-
ed with other chemicals. In most cases, California fabricators have
adopted one-part water-based or acetone-based adhesives. In other parts
of the country, North Carolina in particular, where VOC regulations are
less stringent, many fabricators, especially small ones, are adopting nPB-
based adhesives. A few are adopting the acetone adhesives that contain
other chemicals and very few have converted to water-based adhesives.
Fabricators that wish to continue using METH-based adhesives have to
purchase and install effective ventilation systems that reduce the worker
exposure to the legal OSHA limit. Fabricators that wish to use acetone
adhesives must also install ventilation systems to ensure that the acetone
concentration is below the lower explosion limit of the chemical.
Fabricators that are converting to nPB adhesives are installing ventila-
tion systems to reduce the worker exposure to a potentially toxic chem-
ical. Fabricators adopting one-part water-based adhesives generally
install a ventilation system; the water-based systems produce aerosol
particulates that can be removed from the workplace with the ventilation
system. In effect, fabrication facilities that select any one of the alterna-
tive adhesives must expect to install a ventilation system.
4 GTSA: Foam Fabrication
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Characteristics of Alternatives
Adhesive
Classified
as VOC
1,1,1-Trichloroethane No
Methylene Chloride
Acetone
Acetone Blends
Water-Based
No
No
No
Toxicity
Medium
High
Ozone
Depleter
Flash
Point
No
No
Low
No
Yes
Low
No
No
Issues
Production banned
Heavily regulated
Fire regulations
rire regulations
Forms aerosols
GTSA: Foam Fabrication 5
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Foam Fabricator Helps Push
Water-Based Adhesive Technology
"The ban on TCA was
a good thing. It forced
us to examine our
process and find a bet-
ter alternative for work-
ers and the environ-
ment," says Bob
Nylander.
Foam Craft Inc., located in Cerritos,
California, employs 160 people. The
firm started operation in 1965 and was
bought by Future Foam, a flexible slabstock
foam manufacturer, in 1994. Foam Craft
fabricates foam for use in packaging, furni-
ture and bedding. Products like futons,
recreation vehicles, trucks, tractors and dog
beds use the foam fabricated by Foam Craft.
Several years ago, like most of the industry,
Foam Craft used methylene chloride
(METH)-based adhesives for bonding foam-
to-foam in their fabrication operations.
Because of air regulations put in place by the
South Coast Air Quality Management
District, Foam Craft converted their process-
es from METH to 1,1,1-trichloroethane
(TCA)-based adhesives. Like other compa-
nies in Southern California, Foam Craft used
TCA-based adhesives until the cost of the
chemical became prohibitive. TCA con-
tributes to stratospheric ozone depletion and
production was banned in 1996. A Federal
tax placed on the chemical made it extreme-
ly expensive to use.
"We have completely converted to water at
this stage," says Bob Nylander, Foam
Craft's plant manager. The company began
investigating water-based adhesive alterna-
tives about six years ago when it became
clear that TCA would be phased out. At that
time, the water-based products were new to
the market and Foam Craft went through a
long learning curve to optimize their use.
Foam Craft and the vendors, in a partner-
ship, were able to solve all the problems that
arose during a long testing phase.
Foam Craft emerged as one of the industry
pioneers for water-based foam bonding
6 GTSA: Foam Fabrication
-------
adhesives. The company spent two years of
intensive testing to determine the best meth-
ods of using the new adhesives. They began
work with a one-part adhesive made by
Upaco. Foam Craft found that the adhesive
did not dry as fast as the solvent-borne adhe-
sives so they tested different application
techniques. Instead of spraying two pieces of
foam and putting them together for an instant
bond, the workers now spray a stack of foam
pieces and then join them. Worker applica-
tion time is virtually identical now to what it
was before the conversion.
Foam Craft had to work out several other
problems over the two-year period. They
had difficulty developing an adhesive feed
system for their eight stations that had a total
of 32 spray booths and guns. Going to a
gravity feed system eliminated shearing
issues.
They also found that at first they used about
1.6 times more of the water-based adhesive
than the solvent-borne adhesive. With expe-
rience, they were able to optimize the appli-
cation process and now they use about
three-fourths as much of the water-based
adhesives. This reduction in materials use
means that the cost of doing business for
Foam Craft was reduced by the switch to
water-based adhesives.
Foam Craft is now testing new water-based
products to see if they can reduce their costs
further. The company is also investigating
new cutting processes that could help elim-
inate some of the requirements for adhesive
use altogether.
"The ban on TCA was a good thing. It
forced us to examine our process and find a
better alternative for workers and the envi-
ronment," says Bob Nylander. "We've pro-
vided information to the other Future Foam
plants in the country. They are planning to
use our example to convert now that meth-
ylene chloride can't be used. We're investi-
gating other methods to reduce our costs
further."
GTSA: Foam Fabrication 7
-------
Prestige Evaluates Several Glue
Technologies
Prestige
"I think we'll go with acetone
glues," says Joe Wingfield.
"Acetone is flammable, but it
has low toxicity and the
glues perform well."
Prestige is one of the largest foam fabrica-
tors in North Carolina. The company
also manufactures polyurethane slabstock
foam in Asheboro. About 80 percent of the
foam the company manufactures is used in
the fabrication operation and 20 percent is
sold to other firms.
The foam pouring and fabrication operations
were located in the same building until
recently; the foam fabrication now takes
Prestige produces thousands of styles and sizes of
cut foam, pillows, sleeper mattresses, and garnetted
fiber.
place in a separate 200,000 square foot
facility. Prestige does fabrication for a vari-
ety of furniture manufacturers. Adhesive is
used to bond the foam-to-foam in the fabri-
cation operation. The company also manu-
factures sleeper mattresses for sofa beds
but, in this case, has found that lifetime test-
ing results are better with sewing for those
products.
Prestige has a very large fabrication opera-
tion with 30 gluing stations. The company
has 250 employees and about 40 of them
apply adhesive. In 1991, the company used
a 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA)-based adhe-
sive. Prestige started evaluating alternative
technologies when it became clear that TCA
production would be banned because of the
chemical's contribution to ozone depletion.
The company converted to a one-part water-
based adhesive and has been using it for
several years. They also used a two-part
water-based adhesive for critical bonding
GTSA: Foam Fabrication
-------
In 1983 Prestige
began manufac-
turing its own
foam.
applications on furniture arms, ears, seams
and other complex parts. "We never liked the
performance of the water-based glue," says
Danny Sykes, General Manager at Prestige.
"It took four to six weeks for the workers to
learn to spray the water-based glues and six
to eight weeks to get their speed up," he says.
The company purchased and installed 30
spray booths when they converted from TCA
to the water-based adhesives.
Recently, the company began using an n-
propyl bromide adhesive on the line where
they used the two-part water-based glue. The
The fabri-
cated foam
is cut,
buffed,
glued,
labeled,
and pre-
pared for
shipment.
two-part adhesives are very costly to main-
tain. "We like the performance of the n-
propyl bromide glue but are concerned
about possible regulation," says Joe
Wingfield, President of Prestige.
The company has also evaluated the costs of
acetone-based adhesives and is considering
using them. "I think we'll go with acetone
glues," says Joe Wingfield. "Acetone is
flammable but it has low toxicity and the
glues perform well. The cost of using ace-
tone glues is also lower than the cost of
using the n-propyl bromide products."
Annual Cost Comparison for Prestige
Cost
Capital Cost
One-Part
Water-Based
$11,182
Two-Part
Water-Based
$11,182
Acetone
Adhesive
$12,160
n-Propyl Bromide
Adhesive
$11,182
Adhesive Cost $656,250
Labor Cost $720,000
Maintenance Cost $3,780
Electricity Cost $2,160
Training Cost $1,080
Total Cost $1,394,452
$656,100
$720,000
$3,780
$2,160
$1,080
GTSA: Foam Fabrication 9
-------
Santa Fe Springs
Foam Fabricator Converts to Water-
Based Adhesives
/ At TE ft /V A T / O Af A L
WEST
"We did a lot of testing and
converted away from sol-
vent-based adhesives
entirely," Roger Coffey says.
"The water-based adhesives
work effectively and they
are better for the workers
and the community."
Latex International, a large manufacturer
of latex foam, has two manufacturing
plants worldwide. The company has a fabri-
cation plant in Santa Fe Springs, California
with 50 employees where they fabricate
foam used primarily in the bedding industry.
In the 1980s, like other companies in the
country, Latex International used methylene
chloride-based adhesives in their fabrication
operation. More recently, as methylene chlo-
ride was more heavily regulated by the local
air district, the company converted to an ace-
tone-based adhesive. Latex International did
not want to continue to use solvent-borne
adhesives and initiated work on water-based
products. Today, the company is exclusively
using water-based adhesives.
The latex foam cores that are used in mat-
tresses are manufactured in Latex
International's plant in Conneticut. The
ingredients are poured into molds of vari-
ous types. Two twin molded cores are glued
together to form a king sized core. The
plant in Santa Fe Springs receives latex
foam cores from the Conneticut plant and
bonds two types of foam products. In one
operation, latex is bonded to latex to form
the foam core of a high end mattress. The
latex foam takes the place of springs that are
commonly used in lower end mattresses.
The company also uses glue to attach alu-
minized "cigarette tape" to the edges of the
mattress to prevent cigarette fires. In the
second operation, Latex International uses
10 GTSA: Foam Fabrication
-------
Latex is bonded to latex to form the foam core of a
high-end mattress.
adhesives to bond "racetracks" which are
smaller cores of latex foam with an outer
perimeter of polyurethane. These cores are
used in less expensive bedding.
In the polyurethane foam-to-latex operation,
Latex International uses a one-part latex
water-based adhesive which does not have an
immediate tack. In the latex-to-latex opera-
tion, a different one-part water-based adhe-
sive which has a shorter tack time is used.
The latex is less porous than polyurethane
foam so a faster tack adhesive is required.
Says Ron Bruneau, Plant Manager at Latex
International West, "our adhesive use has
been reduced by about 30 percent since we
converted from acetone to water-based
adhesives." The cost of using the water-
based adhesives is roughly the same as the
cost of the acetone adhesives. "We are test-
ing other water-based adhesives to see if we
can lower our costs," says Ron Bruneau.
Roger Coffey, President of Latex
International West, is pleased with the con-
version and continued work to find lower
cost adhesives. "We're an environmentally
conscious company. "We did a lot of testing
and converted away from solvent-based
adhesives entirely," he says. "The water-
based adhesives work effectively and they
are better for the workers and the communi-
ty."
Annual Cost Comparison for Latex International
Cost
Capital Cos
Adhesive Cost
Water-Based Adhesive
$27,360
$196,000
$372
Electricity Cost
Training Cost
Regulatory Cost
Total Cost
$352
$232,870
GTSA: Foam Fabrication 11
-------
Hickory Springs Decides on Acetone
"Acetone is low in toxicity
and it's as effective as
METH as a blowing agent
and in the glues," says
Bobby Bush. "We think it's
the best overall solution."
Hickory Springs is a major manufacturer
of flexible slabstock polyurethane
foam. The company has six pouring plants in
the country, including Conover, North
Carolina and City of Commerce in
California. The foam is used in diverse
applications like packaging, bedding, furni-
ture and recreational vehicles.
In addition to manufacturing the
polyurethane foam, Hickory Springs also has
a number of fabrication operations. The
company has fabrication operations in all of
their foam pouring plants; in addition,
Hickory Springs owns about 30 separate fab-
ricating companies. About half the foam the
company produces is used in their own fabri-
cation operations. In all, the company has
about 2,000 employees who manufacture and
fabricate foam.
Hickory Springs historically used methyl-
ene chloride (METH) as an auxiliary blow-
ing agent in their slabstock foam production
operations. Because of more stringent toxic
regulations on METH, the company began
investigating alternatives in the early 1990s.
In 1993, Hickory Springs patented a new
blowing agent process that used acetone as
J
J
The foam is used in diverse applications including
packaging, bedding, furniture, and recreational
vehicles.
12 GTSA: Foam Fabrication
-------
the auxiliary blowing agent in foam manu-
facture in place of METH. A few years, later,
when acetone was deemed exempt from
VOC regulations, the company converted all
of their pouring plants from METH to ace-
tone.
Like other companies, Hickory Springs used
TCA-based adhesives in the early 1990s.
When the production ban on TCA was
announced and the price of TCA increased,
the company converted to METH-based
adhesives for their fabrication operations.
In 1990, the pouring plant in City of
Commerce used TCA-based adhesives.
From 1991 to 1998, the company decided not
to continue fabrication at that site. In 1998,
the company decided to reenter the fabrica-
tion market. At that stage, METH was heav-
ily regulated by the local air district and
Hickory Springs investigated and adopted
water-based adhesives. "We tried for about a
year to make the water-based adhesives work
for us but we were unsuccessful," says Steve
Isenhour, Plant Manager at the City of
Commerce plant. "We're using acetone adhe-
sives now and we've had no problems," he
says.
When the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) regulated METH
more stringently, Hickory Springs decided to
convert away from METH in their fabrica-
tion operations throughout the country. In
the Conover plant, the company converted to
water-based adhesives for a short time. In
1998, the company began testing acetone-
based adhesives in their fabrication opera-
tion at the pouring plant. "The company
was very familiar with acetone because it
was used as a blowing agent in our pouring
plants," says Bobby Bush, Vice President of
the Foam Products Division at Hickory
Springs. "People are nervous about acetone
because of its combustibility," he remarks.
"Our insurance rates did not go up; we had
to install a ventilation system but we would
have had to do that with water or METH
adhesives too."
The Conover plant has 16 stations where
adhesive is applied. With the conversion to
acetone, the company installed ventilation
systems that collect from the floor at 11 of
the stations; at the remaining five stations, a
fan pulls the air outside. At the City of
Commerce plant, which has a much smaller
fabrication operation, the company has
always had one spray booth and no addi-
tional ventilation was necessary for the con-
version to acetone adhesives.
In the Conover plant, the company uses an
adhesive formulation that is a blend of ace-
tone and heptane. In the City of Commerce
plant, the company uses a straight acetone-
based adhesive because of the more strin-
gent local air district regulations on VOCs.
"Acetone is low in toxicity and it's as effec-
tive as METH as a blowing agent and in the
glues," says Bobby Bush. "We think it's the
best overall solution."
At the City of Commerce plant, the compa-
ny reduced their costs in converting from
GTSA: Foam Fabrication 13
-------
water-based to acetone adhesives. The com-
pany's production efficiency is much greater
with the acetone-based adhesive. The table
below shows that the production adjusted
cost of using acetone adhesives is about 43
percent less than the cost of using the water-
based adhesives.
Annual Cost Comparison for Hickory Springs, Conover Plant
Cost
Adhesive Cost
Labor Cost
Maintenance Cost
Electricity Cost
Total Cost
METH Adhesive
$345,403
$55,000
$288,000
$2,403
Annual Cost Comparison for Hickory Springs, City of
Commerce Plant
Cost
Water-Based Adhesive
Production-Adjusted Total Cost $31,608
$17,949
14 GTSA: Foam Fabrication
-------
About the Design for the Environment (DfE) Program
The Design for the Environment (DfE) Program is a cooperative effort
between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), industries,
research institutions, environmental/public interest groups, and other
government agencies. Working with these partners, the DfE program
identifies cost-effective alternatives to existing products and processes
that reduce risks to workers and the environment while maintaining or
improving performance and product quality. Through the DfE program,
EPA encourages businesses to incorporate environmental considera-
tions into their products, processes, and technical and management sys-
tems. To help industry implement some of the ideas and technologies
identified, the DfE program has published a number of case studies of
companies which have found that environmental improvements can
also lead to economic benefits. The case studies encourage other ven-
dors, as well as other businesses, to learn from these environmental suc-
cesses and adapt the techniques to their own processes.
For More Information
To obtain additional copies of this or other case studies, or for
more information contact:
Institute for Research and Technical Assistance (IRTA)
2800 Olympic Blvd., Ste. 101
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Telephone: (310) 453-0450
Fax: (310)453-2660
E-Mail: irta@earthlink.net
IRTA website: http://home.earthlink.net/~irta
Check Out DfE's
Adhesives Web Site:
http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/
dfe/ad hesi ve/ad hesi ve. html
Check Out IRTA's Web
Site:
http://home.earthlink.net/
-irta
GTSA: Foam Fabrication 15
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