Engineering material
Closed-cell polymer foam
Also known as structural foam core, PVC foam, polyurethane foam
Rigid closed-cell foam — polystyrene, polyurethane, PVC, polymethacrylimide and others — used as a sandwich core in light aircraft and vehicle structures. It is heavier and weaker than honeycomb.
Classification
- material family
- POLYMER
- form
- CELLULAR
How this record is known
- 2
- Settled consensus
- Cited as the accepted position of the discipline.
2 of 2 claims on this page cite at least one registered source. Counts describe how each statement is known, not how likely it is to be true.
What Lithoen records
Each claim states how it is known and cites its evidence.
EstablishedPolystyrene, phenolic, polyurethane, polypropylene, PVC and polymethacrylimide foams.
Foams used as sandwich cores include aircraft-grade closed-cell polystyrene, phenolic, polyurethane, polypropylene, closed-cell PVC and polymethacrylimide, the last offering excellent mechanical properties and dimensional stability under heat at a higher cost.
Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence · one source
Evidence: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Flight Standards Service 2023 · Primary authority
EstablishedLight and homebuilt aircraft structure; sandwich bus monocoques.
Closed-cell polymer foam cores are used on homebuilt and lighter aircraft to give strength and shape to wing tips, flight controls, fuselage sections, wings and wing ribs, but are not commonly used on commercial aircraft, being heavier than honeycomb and not as strong; they are also the core of a sandwich composite monocoque microbus designed with high-density polyurethane foam.
Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence · 2 sources, multiple sources, independence unknown
Evidence: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Flight Standards Service 2023 · Primary authority; Pattaramon 2022 · Peer-reviewed
Record last updated 2026-10-30. Corrections follow the published corrections policy; superseded claims are retained, never silently edited.