Aircraft acoustic and thermal insulation in one open-cell foam
Modern aircraft interiors have to get quieter, lighter and more fire-safe at the same time, and the insulation behind the cabin panels is asked to do all three jobs at once. FoamTech produces open-cell melamine foam for aircraft acoustic and thermal insulation — the same material we foam, cure, cut and inspect on our own lines in Yiwu and Zhengzhou, China.
Unlike glass wool or polyurethane, melamine foam is a fibre-free open-cell material. It absorbs sound, resists flame without relying on halogenated additives, and weighs very little — which matters when every kilogram on board is counted against fuel burn.
Who makes it. FoamTech is a melamine foam manufacturer founded in 2014, with plants in Yiwu and Zhengzhou and a combined capacity of 300,000 m³ a year. This page covers the two jobs the foam does on a fuselage — the thermal and acoustic core inside the insulation blanket, and the layer that acts as a fire block in the same stack — and the forms we supply them in.
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Why aerospace buyers look at this material
- AS9100D aerospace quality management system
- NRC up to 0.95 on 25-50 mm sections
- From 8 kg/m³ — roughly 99% air by volume
- UL94 V-0 rated, no added flame retardants
- −240 to +220 °C working window
- Fibre-free — no respirable mineral fibres
Why open-cell melamine foam suits aircraft interiors
Aircraft insulation has to solve several problems with one material, in a space nobody will ever see. Four properties keep bringing specifiers back to open-cell melamine foam.
- Broadband absorption. The cell walls are thin and the cells are open, so sound energy enters the structure and is converted to heat instead of reflecting back into the cabin. Absorption rises with thickness, reaching an NRC of up to 0.95 on 25-50 mm sections.
- Low mass. Densities start at 8 kg/m³, so a lining that adds acoustic and thermal performance costs only a small amount of weight.
- Inherent flame resistance. The melamine-formaldehyde polymer network resists ignition without the halogenated additives used in many polymer foams, and the material is rated UL94 V-0.
- Stable across the temperature range. The material keeps its shape from −240 °C up to +220 °C, so the same grade covers a cold-soaked fuselage and equipment bays that run warm.
Because the foam is fibre-free, it also avoids the handling and containment requirements that come with mineral fibre blankets during build and retrofit.
Where the material is used on an aircraft
Open-cell melamine foam is supplied as blanket cores, die-cut pads and faced laminates. Two positions account for most of the insulated area on a fuselage — the blanket itself and the fire barrier — and the rest are smaller compartments where the same foam does a narrower job.
- Fuselage insulation blankets — the “duvet” that wraps the barrel between the metal skin and the cabin liner. It holds back the cold soak at altitude and the heat of an aircraft parked on the apron, and it absorbs engine and airflow noise before it reaches the cabin.
- Fire barriers and fire-zone separators — a fire-blocking layer inside the blanket stack, or a rigid barrier between the occupied cabin and a fire zone, intended to stop a fire spreading into the cabin.
- Sidewall and ceiling blankets — the acoustic lining behind cabin panels, where absorption and low weight both matter.
- Underfloor insulation blankets — reducing noise transmitted from the below-floor structure into the cabin floor.
- Acoustic blanket assemblies — melamine foam bonded to a barrier or damping layer to build a composite blanket matched to a target frequency band.
- Equipment and avionics bays — where fan and pump noise is absorbed close to the source and thermal protection is needed at the same time.
- Environmental control and duct lining — acoustic and thermal treatment of air distribution paths.
- APU and auxiliary compartments — high-temperature acoustic treatment in areas that run warmer than the cabin.
Parts can be supplied as plain sheet, die-cut to a drawing, or laminated with foil, film or adhesive so they arrive ready to lay into the blanket.
What an aircraft insulation blanket asks of its core
A fuselage blanket is a build-up, not a single material. Working from the aircraft skin inward, a typical encapsulated blanket runs: metal skin → condensation or vapour film → melamine foam core → fire-barrier layer → scrim or reinforcing film → cabin sidewall or ceiling panel.
Where the foam sits in the stack
We supply the core, and the core already laminated to a film or foil where the drawing calls for it. The blanket itself — the bagging, the barrier layer, the edge tape and the final test — is built and qualified by the blanket maker, which is normally the company holding the approval for that assembly.
What the core brings to the stack
- Mass. At the standard grade of 8.5 ± 1.5 kg/m³, a 25 mm core weighs about 0.21 kg/m². Weight per area is the figure that matters when a blanket is counted in kilograms per aircraft.
- Absorption. NRC up to 0.95 at 25–50 mm; thin sections still take the mid and high band that dominates airflow noise.
- Thermal resistance. Thermal conductivity ≤0.034 W/(m·K) keeps the core thin where the space between skin and liner is tight.
- Nothing to contain. No mineral fibre, so no bagging requirement for the core itself and no fibre release when a panel is opened for maintenance.
Both facings are supplied as parts that arrive ready to lay into the blanket: melamine foam laminated with fibreglass cloth where the stack needs a bonded scrim, and aluminium-foil faced melamine foam where it needs a reflective layer.
Melamine foam core against an encapsulated glass-fibre blanket
Most blankets in service use a glass-fibre mat with a binder as the core, encapsulated in film. The comparison below is about the core material only — the barrier layer and the facing often decide the final result.
| Aspect | Open-cell melamine foam core | Glass-fibre blanket core |
|---|---|---|
| Fibre content | Fibre-free; no respirable mineral fibres | Mineral fibre; needs full encapsulation |
| Handling in build | Cut and die-cut without containment controls | Gloves and bagging controls during cutting |
| Shape under compression | Holds nominal thickness; recovers after compression | Absorption falls where the blanket is squeezed on installation |
| Moisture | Water repellency ≥98%; open cells let incidental water drain | Fibre mat holds water if the film is breached |
| Fire behaviour of the core | Inherent flame resistance, UL94 V-0 rated without halogenated additives; chars rather than melting | Carried mainly by the binder, the facing and the barrier layer |
| Absorption | Set by thickness; NRC up to 0.95 at 25–50 mm | Set by mat density and thickness |
| Supply form | Sheet, die-cut part, faced laminate, compressed pack | Roll or cut blanket core |
Where a programme is already qualified on a glass-fibre core, the practical question is not substitution in the abstract but what the change does to thickness, weight and the assembly test. We supply trial foam for that comparison rather than arguing it on paper.
Typical specification range
Values below describe the standard material we produce; the grade, thickness and facing for a specific programme are confirmed against the drawing and the requirement it has to meet.
| Property | Value | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Density | 8 – 40 kg/m³ | GB/T 6343 |
| Thickness | 1 – 20 mm (sheet); up to 400 mm on request | GB/T 14899 |
| Sound absorption (NRC) | 0.85 – 0.95 (25–50 mm) | ASTM C423 |
| Thermal conductivity | ≤0.034 W/(m·K) | GB/T 10294 |
| Flammability | UL94 V-0 rated | UL94 |
| Surface burning | Class A (FSI 10 / SDI 25) | ASTM E84 |
| Service temperature | −240 to +220 °C | — |
| Open-cell content | > 99% | — |
| Formaldehyde emission | Not detected | SGS ISO 15234 |
| Formats | Sheet, roll, die-cut part, faced laminate | — |
| Water repellency | ≥98% (hydrophobic grade) | — |
| Weight per area | ≈0.09 / 0.21 / 0.43 kg/m² at 10 / 25 / 50 mm (standard grade) | — |
Where a programme calls for a different density or a specific facing, we quote against that drawing rather than forcing a catalogue grade into the application.
The individual grades are set out on the comparable-grade melamine foam page, and the standard blanket core is specified on the FT8 melamine foam page.
Which grade for which aircraft position
Four positions cover most of what we ship for cabin interiors. None of them is a default — the grade follows the position and the requirement it has to meet.
| Aircraft position | Grade and build |
|---|---|
| Insulation blanket core | FT8 at 8.5 ± 1.5 kg/m³, 10–50 mm |
| Cold-soak and condensation risk | FT8HY and FT16HY hydrophobic grades, water repellency ≥98% |
| Thin-section high efficiency | melamine aerogel composite (FT-QNJ), 80–120 kg/m³ and ≤0.020 W/(m·K) at 25 °C per its own TDS |
| Laminated parts | aluminium foil, non-woven or mica composite facings, for blanket liners and panels |
Grade and thickness are confirmed against the drawing and the requirement it has to meet.
Core documents for your qualification file
Every figure in the table above is backed by a document, and the ones below can be forwarded to your engineering or quality file as they stand. Ask for any of them and we will send the PDF.
| Document | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Technical data sheets FT5 / FT8 / FT8-Hy / FT8 roll / FT16 Download from the TDS page | Density, thickness, thermal conductivity, NRC, tensile and service temperature, grade by grade |
| UL94 V-0 test report On request | Vertical burn behaviour; produced in our own laboratory, not by a third party |
| UL Recognized Component (yellow card) On request | Grey FT-MF sheet only — V-0 at 1.0 mm and 3.0 mm minimum thickness |
| ASTM E84 Class A View on the certificates page | Surface burning on the submitted sample — FSI 10 / SDI 25 |
| EN 13501-1 Class B-s1, d0 View on the certificates page | Reaction to fire at 20 mm thickness |
These documents describe the core as a material. They are product-safety and building standards, not aviation approvals: FAR 25.853 and FAR 25.856 are run on the finished blanket, and the result depends on the facings, adhesive and film in your build-up. Where a specification quotes a standard that is not in this list, ask us — we will tell you whether we hold data for it, and we will not imply a result we have not tested.
Airworthiness and fire requirements
Aerospace programmes set the acceptance criteria, and insulation materials are selected to meet them. Typical requirements we see in aircraft interior specifications include:
- FAR 25.856(a) — radiant panel test for thermal and acoustic insulation materials, commonly quoted as a flame propagation requirement.
- FAR 25.856(b) — the oil burner test applied to the finished insulation blanket assembly rather than the raw foam.
- FAR 25.853 — flammability of interior materials, covering the 12-second and 60-second vertical burn tests.
- Smoke and toxicity — cabin programmes normally add a smoke density and gas toxicity requirement on top of the burn test.
These are the requirements a specification sets for the assembly; the result depends on the finished blanket, including facings, adhesives and film, so testing is normally carried out on the complete build-up. Our role is to supply foam with documented, repeatable properties so the assembly test starts from a known material.
A fire barrier is judged the same way. The fire-blocking layer and the fire-zone separator are assemblies in their own right: the foam core contributes low fuel load and low smoke, and it chars rather than melting, but the barrier rating belongs to the finished build-up, and it is the blanket or barrier manufacturer who holds that approval. We do not hold FAA or EASA design approval and we do not issue airworthiness statements — we supply the core material and the test data behind it.
If a specification names a radiant-panel or an oil-burner test, send it with the drawing. We will tell you which of our reports applies to the core as supplied, and which of the tests has to be run on your own assembly.
Our management system is certified to AS9100D, the aerospace quality management standard, alongside IATF 16949 for automotive. Test reports and certificate copies are available on request, and the originals we can share are listed on our certificates page.
Frequently asked questions
Is melamine foam approved for aircraft interiors?
Acceptance is granted to the finished insulation assembly, not to a raw foam in isolation. Aircraft programmes test the build-up — foam plus facing, adhesive and film — against the requirements in the specification. We supply foam with documented density, absorption and flammability properties so that qualification starts from a repeatable material.
How does it compare with glass wool for acoustic blankets?
Glass wool is effective and inexpensive, but it is a fibre material that needs containment, and its performance depends heavily on compression during installation. Open-cell melamine foam is fibre-free, holds its shape, and can be die-cut and laminated into shaped parts, which simplifies assembly.
What density and thickness should we specify?
Thickness drives low-frequency absorption, and density affects mechanical strength and the ability to hold a shape. As a starting point, 25–50 mm sections give an NRC of up to 0.95, and densities of 8–20 kg/m³ keep weight low. Send the drawing and the target band and we will recommend a grade.
Does the material contain added flame retardants?
No halogenated flame retardants are added. The flame resistance comes from the melamine-formaldehyde polymer itself, and the material is rated UL94 V-0. It also holds a UL Recognized Component yellow card, File No. E540769 (grey FT-MF sheet, V-0 at 1.0 mm and 3.0 mm minimum thickness).
Can you supply parts die-cut to our drawing?
Yes. We supply plain sheet, die-cut parts, shaped sections and faced laminates, so the part arrives in the form your assembly line needs rather than as a raw block.
Can you support a qualification programme with samples and data?
Yes. We provide samples for fit and performance trials, and test reports covering density, absorption, thermal conductivity and flammability so you can document the material in your qualification file.
Can melamine foam replace the glass-fibre core in a blanket we already build?
Usually yes, and the change is a re-qualification of the blanket rather than a like-for-like swap. Absorption per millimetre and the way the core behaves under the film both change, so thickness and the barrier layer are normally revisited before the assembly goes back to test. Send the existing blanket drawing and we will supply foam at the thickness you want to trial.
Does the foam take on water in service?
The hydrophobic grade has a water repellency of 98% or above, and because the cells are open, incidental moisture drains through instead of sitting in a fibre mat. That does not remove the need for the condensation film the blanket design already calls for — the film keeps bulk water out, and the foam’s job is not to hold what gets past it.
How is the fire-barrier layer handled?
The barrier is a separate layer in the stack and is specified by the blanket design, not by the foam. We supply the core at the thickness and density the stack needs, and can laminate it to a film or foil where the drawing asks for it. Barrier materials and their approvals stay with the blanket maker.
Related pages: CAD custom foam cutting · self-adhesive melamine insulation foam · aerospace melamine foam
Request aircraft insulation data
Tell us the position you are lining, the requirement it has to meet, and the form you need — sheet, die-cut part or faced blanket — and you will get a factory-direct response with the grade we recommend and the lead time we can commit to. If you would rather send a drawing and full project brief, use the full inquiry form.