A Review of the Moulded Latex Foam Industry

This review describes the processes used in latex foam production and the changes that have occurred in the industry in the last thirty years. It is concluded that the increased use of synthetic latices for foam production has been nearly sufficient to compensate for the losses in natural latex usage arising from competition from flexible polyurethane foams. As a consequence, the industry is today in a better condition than many people realise and may well have a viable future into the next century. It is also shown that the bulk of latex foam production has moved away from the countries that originated the process and is now in Eastern Europe.