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New specialty urethane foams have been developed for use in composite type air bag doors (doors which consist of a vinyl skin, a foamed urethane core, and a supporting substrate). These air bag door foams are characterized by: high strength and tear resistance (much greater than typical instrument panel (IP) foam), good low and high temperature physical properties (required for varied deployment conditions) excellent heat aged physical properties (required for long life in vehicle service), and low vinyl staining rivaling good IP foam. Detailed descriptions of the air bag door foam physical properties are presented along with recent developments.

Slush molded PVC instrument panel skins interact with the flexible urethane foam backing. This interaction is accelerated by the light and heat present in the automobile interior, and may result in discoloration, shrinkage and general hardening of the instrument panel. New low stain urethanes have been introduced, which reduce the severity of these problems. These foams, when coupled with recent developments in PVC skin compounds, may produce significant improvements in long term durability of instrument panels.