Recycling of Automotive Seat Foam: Acoustics of Post Consumer Rebond Seat Foam For Carpet Underlayment Application

A study was conducted to understand the acoustic viability of using post consumer rebond seat foam materials in vehicles for floor carpet underlayment applications. These foam materials were obtained from two different sources:

1) polyurethane foam dismantled from seats of end of life vehicles (ELV or scrap vehicles), and 2) polyurethane foam recovered and cleaned from auto shredder residue (ASR) by the Argonne National Laboratories (ANL) using their cleaning method.

The study was conducted using three North-American cars, each serving different market segments. Based on both laboratory and on-road tests conducted on each vehicle, the study concluded that the acoustical performance of the floor carpet underlayment part made of post consumer rebond foam is comparable to that of the current production part mostly made of shoddy materials.