A Memory Foam consists of polyurethane with additional chemicals that increase its viscosity and density. It is also often referred to as ‘viscoelastic’ polyurethane foam, or Low Resilience Polyfoam (LRPu). The froth bubbles or ‘cells’ are open, and create a matrix allowing air to flow through. While a Higher-density memory foam softens in reaction to body heat, allowing it to mold to a warm body in a few minutes, Newer foams may recover their original shapes way faster.

The main component of memory foam is a polymer (a substance with large molecules, consisting of many small, similar subunits bonded together) called polyurethane. Polyurethane is an incredibly common and versatile plastic polymer that can be used to produce a wide range of materials and products, including furnitures like sofas and mattresses, but also products like insulation, liquid paints and primers, spray foam, elastic fibers, car parts, and even tough elastomers like roller blade wheels to name a few.