URETHANE INDUSTRY GLOSSARY - K

A measure of the insulation ability or thermal conductivity of the foam or material. In English measurements it is normally expressed as BTU's / hour / square foot of area / degree F / inch of thickness, although some physical handbooks use a foot of thickness as standard. Since the measurement indicates positive heat flow, the relationship to insulating ability is inverse in that the higher the K factor, the poorer is the insulation and vice versa. Since the approved Test Method is so time consuming and expensive, many faster cheaper screening methods are in use.

A high density layer of foam indicating the joint between two adjacent pours of foam that did not flow together until after skins were formed. Under ideal conditions the various parts of a pour should flow together while still liquid, thus avoiding the formation of knit lines. This is a common occurrence with rigid foam.

A term which refers to the technical background information required in order to properly operate a specific process.