Water Blown Integral Skin for Steering Wheels

In response to the impending curtailment of the availability and use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) and hydro-chlorofluorocarbons (HFC's), a water blown integral skin foam (ISF) system has been developed. In meeting the environmental challenge, automotive steering wheels were chosen as the targeted market. A discussion of the developmental strategies and efforts is presented along with a comparison of the new system to current technology. Also shown is the ability of the system to comply with automotive performance requirements and to process according to current production standards. After examining the favorable economic implications of the new system, the paper concludes that this water blown ISF system is a viable, practical and environmentally acceptable alternative to current CFC technology.