PU Foam Scrap Grades AA / A / B Explained

If you buy PU foam scrap for rebonding, you already know that two suppliers can quote the same "AA" grade and deliver two very different bales. Grade labels are a starting point, not a guarantee. What actually determines value is skin content, color mix, density, bale weight, and how clean the feedstock is for your rebonding line.

This guide breaks down what AA, A, and B grades mean in practice, where special scrap types fit, and how to read a grade offer before you compare prices.

What "Grade" Actually Measures in PU Foam Scrap

PU foam scrap is sold as feedstock for rebonding: the scrap is shredded into chips, bonded with a PU binder, and pressed into blocks. From those blocks, manufacturers cut rebonded foam for furniture padding, farming mattresses, domestic mattresses, modular auto parts, and 10mm carpet underlay.

The grade of the scrap tells you, roughly, how much of the material is still "skin" — the denser outer surface formed against the mold or conveyor during foam production (general industry knowledge) — versus open, consistent foam. Skin behaves differently in the shredder and in the binder mix, which is why the skin percentage is the first number to confirm on any grade offer.

Higher grades mean less skin. Lower grades mean more skin and more variation in the mix. Color is a separate variable: published specifications list black, white, and mixed as color options but do not link color to grade, so always confirm color on its own.

One more thing worth stating up front: density of the scrap itself is typically in the 15–30 kg/m³ range (with the exception of specialty types such as Hi-Poly shoe foam at 50–60). The grade label does not tell you the density of the rebonded block you will make — that depends on your process. It tells you what you are feeding in.

Grade AA: The Lowest-Skin Rebonding Feedstock

Grade AA is the top of the scrap range on skin content. It comes in two versions:

• 5% skin
• 0-skin (skin-free)

Density for AA grade is specified at 20–30 kg/m³. That minimal skin content is the defining feature of Grade AA in the offer.

AA is loaded as compression bales: a 40HQ container loads 20–22 tons of AA-grade compression bales, which makes it an efficient grade to ship in volume. The listed MOQ on the Grade AA listing (Alibaba listing) is 20 tons.

In short: AA is the lowest-skin input available. If your end product can tolerate more variation, you may not need it. If your customer can see the block or specifies a tight density, AA is usually the safer starting point.

Grade A: The Flexible Middle

Grade A sits between AA and B and comes in two versions:

• 5% skin
• 15% skin

This is the grade where the skin percentage matters most, because the spread between the two versions is wide. As a general processing note, a 5% skin A grade tends to behave more like AA in the shredder than a 15% skin A grade does. If a supplier quotes "Grade A" without stating which version, you do not yet have enough information to compare it to another offer.

Grade A can suit general rebonding work for buyers who have some tolerance for variation in the finished block — for example, carpet underlay or mattresses where the foam is not the visible surface. The practical rule: always ask which A version you are being quoted, and always ask for it in writing on the offer.

Grade B: Higher Skin, More Variation

Grade B is around 15% skin. Note that a 15% skin Grade A and a ~15% skin Grade B overlap on skin content, so treat the letter as a supplier's line rather than a sharp dividing line — always confirm the actual specification.

More skin means more of the denser outer material in the mix, which affects how the scrap shreds and how it bonds. Grade B is generally chosen when the end application can absorb that variation, or when the buyer's process is set up to handle a less uniform feedstock.

Grade B is not "bad" scrap — it is a different input. The mistake is comparing a 0-skin AA quote against a 15% skin B quote as if they were the same product. That is why the checklist in the next section matters more than the letter on the quote.

Colors and Special Scrap Types

Color is a separate variable from grade, and it needs to be confirmed on every offer.

Standard color options are:

• Black
• White
• Mixed

Mixed color is a standard option alongside white and black. White and black are specified when the buyer needs a more predictable finished color. Confirm the color — and the ratio if mixed — on every offer, because color is independent of grade.

Beyond the three standard grades, there is a range of special scrap types:

• Memory visco (memory foam) scrap — visco-elastic scrap
• Shredded foam — pre-shredded material
• Filter foam scrap
• Dali skin foam
• Hi-Poly shoe foam scrap — 50–60 density
• Crushed fabric bra foam scrap
• Old used foam

These are not simply "AA with a different label." Each has its own characteristics, and each needs to be specified clearly in the offer. If you are running a rebonding line with a fixed recipe, confirm the special type and how it will be blended before you commit to a volume.

How Grade Choice Affects Your Rebonded Output

The link between scrap grade and rebonded foam is straightforward: cleaner feedstock gives you more control (general industry guidance).

• Lower-skin grades (AA, low-skin A) — fewer skin chips in the mix. A common reason buyers specify them is a more predictable finished block (general industry guidance) — for example, when the block will be cut into visible shapes or specified to a tight density.
• Mid grades (15% skin A, B) — more variation in the mix. Workable for many applications, but you should expect to manage the recipe more actively and to accept some color or density spread.
• Specialty streams — memory visco, Hi-Poly shoe foam, filter foam, and similar materials each bring their own behavior. Treat them as separate inputs with their own specs.

Rebonded PU foam itself is 100% recyclable and can be produced across a density range of 50–300 kg/m³, with shape cutting supported. The grade of scrap you buy does not set that density — your process does — but it determines how easily and how consistently you can hit it.

How to Read a Grade Offer: A Buyer's Checklist

Before you compare two prices, confirm every item below. A quote that is missing any of these is not yet comparable.

• Skin percentage — For AA: 5% or 0-skin. For A: 5% or 15%. For B: around 15%. Get the number, not just the letter.
• Color mix — Black, white, or mixed. Confirm the ratio if it is mixed.
• Density — Scrap density is typically 15–30 kg/m³; AA is specified at 20–30 kg/m³. Confirm what is being quoted.
• Special type, if applicable — Memory visco, shredded, filter foam, Dali skin foam, Hi-Poly shoe foam (50–60 density), crushed fabric bra foam, or old used foam.
• Bale weight — Standard bales are 200–300 kg per bale. Confirm the actual bale weight you will receive.
• MOQ — The Grade AA listing carries a 20-ton MOQ. Confirm the MOQ for the specific grade and type you want.
• Port of loading — Shenzhen or Guangzhou, China.
• Container loading — A 40ft container loads 18,000–22,000 kg. A 40HQ loads 20–22 tons of AA-grade compression bales. Confirm which applies to your grade.
• Payment terms — T/T, L/C, D/P D/A, MoneyGram, Credit Card, Western Union, or Cash. Confirm which terms apply to your order and your market.
• Supply ability — The listed supply ability (Alibaba listing) is 5,000 tons per month. If you need volume on a schedule, confirm it against your delivery window.

Run this checklist on every offer. It takes a few minutes and it prevents mismatched comparisons — the letter on the quote never tells the whole story.

Sourcing PU Foam Scrap from Fungbillion

Dongguan Fungbillion Furniture Material Co., Ltd. (brand Fungbillion) is a manufacturer and trading company based in ChaoLang Industrial Zone, Chashan Town, Dongguan City, Guangdong, China. The company supplies PU foam scrap across AA, A, and B grades, in black, white, and mixed colors, along with memory visco scrap, shredded foam, filter foam scrap, Dali skin foam, Hi-Poly shoe foam scrap, crushed fabric bra foam scrap, and old used foam.

Main markets include the Mid East, South America, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the domestic Chinese market. Payment terms accepted are T/T, L/C, D/P D/A, MoneyGram, Credit Card, Western Union, and Cash.

If you are sourcing scrap for rebonding and want a clear, itemized offer — skin percentage, color, density, bale weight, MOQ, port, and payment terms stated up front — contact Ms. Vicky Chen, Sales Manager, at [email protected], or reach the team by phone at 0086-0769-81805003, mobile 0086-15875576145, or WhatsApp at 15875576145. Share your target grade, volume, and destination port, and the team can confirm what is available and what it will cost to ship.

Related Reading

• Foam Scrap Price Guide — grade, volume, and freight: what moves foam scrap prices.
• What Is Rebonded Foam? A Buyer's Introduction — how scrap becomes rebonded foam.
• PU Foam Scrap Grades — our graded scrap product page.