Performances of green velvet material (PLON) used in upholstered furniture

• Published in: Bioresources Vol. 18; no. 3; pp. 5108 - 5119
• Main Authors: Luo, Zhongyu, Xu, Wei, Wu, Shuangshuang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Raleigh North Carolina State University 01.08.2023
• Subjects: Biodegradation; Carding machines; Comparative studies; Composite materials; Compression; compression set; compressive properties; Density; Finite element analysis; Furniture; Mechanical properties; Permeability; Polyesters; Polyurethane; Polyurethane foam; Pressure distribution; Raw materials; Reprocessing; Resilience; Surface hardness; Sustainable materials; Textiles; upholstered furniture; Upholstery
• ISSN: 1930-2126; 1930-2126
• DOI: 10.15376/biores.18.3.5108-5119

Green Velvet Material (PLON), which is prepared from polyester slices, has been called a green material based on its ester composition, its ability to be degraded, and the possibility of recovering the value of used material by reprocessing. PLON is expected to be used as a material for the padding layer of upholstered furniture. This paper presented a comparative study of traditional flexible polyurethane foam and Green Velvet Material as the upholstered furniture’s padding layer. The compression mechanical properties of Green Velvet Material and flexible polyurethane foam, such as indentation force deflection, support performance, compression set, and resilience property, were analyzed. The results showed that Green Velvet Material had lower surface hardness and higher comfort compared to flexible polyurethane foam. In terms of resilience, both high-density and low-density Green Velvet Material performed better than the foam control group, but Green Velvet Material had a poorer ability to regain its shape after prolonged pressure. The 30 kg/m3 density Green Velvet Material was the closest to the compression and resilience properties of flexible polyurethane foam. The conclusions provide theoretical data for the effective and reasonable application of Green Velvet Material in upholstered furniture.