I'm in need of replacement foam material for two different contexts: the first is to replace the foam padding in an SMA gage kit (thread about removing the old foam here:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/remove-disintegrating-foam-from-wooden-case/msg4368976/). The second need is to replace foam lining on the inside bottom cover of an HP 8642B (images attached).
The choice of replacement is important because some foams degrade into a corrosive substance and are therefore not suitable for long-term installations (on the order of a decade or more). I've heard that many (all?) foams are likely to degrade over several decades (true?). But, even if this is so, I'd like to find a foam that degrades gracefully. By that I primarily mean not exuding a corrosive goo. Crumbling would be more acceptable but still not preferred. A graceful failure would be something like losing its elastic quality but mostly remaining intact under minimal abrasion/strain. Since this is geared toward things like the 2 examples I gave above, heat and moisture tolerance are important. UV exposure tolerance is probably also somewhat important. But, I don't need something that can survive harsh outdoor climates etc.
I know very little about different kinds of foams, but I'll start off with the types of foams I've encountered and their attributes.
Polyurethane foamPolyurethane foam is soft and therefore often used as padding for cameras and other delicate mechanical equipment and for electronic applications. However, as far as I can tell, it is the main foam people complain about when they're left with a corrosive goo. This has also been reported in the scientific literature (eg
https://www.jstor.org/stable/20619421).
Polyethylene foamAlso commonly used. Think of a pool noodle. It's harder than polyurethane foam and therefore, when used for padding, more suited to contexts where the item being held can withstand a bit more mechanical shock. I've also read that it doesn't degrade as readily as polyurethane foam. Indeed, searching "polyethylene foam degradation" on google scholar yields fewer relevant results than for polyurethane foam.
Neoprene foamThink of a mouse pad or wetsuit (note, though, that in each of those examples there is also a fabric lining for durability, which is not part of the actual foam). These are supposedly long-lasting, fairly chemically inert, resistant to oils and moisture, and very heat resistant. But, as far as I can tell, this seems to be less common in relevant contexts than the above two. I'm not sure why, as it seems to be a high-quality choice.
Silicone foamI don't know anything about this, but silicone products (eg silicone rubber) are often high-quality and maybe that extends to the foam too.
EPDM foamNo knowledge of this either.
What else is there? What part of my analysis is missing/wrong? What do people use for high-quality long-life applications? Studies to back up claims about longevity and failure mechanisms are especially appreciated, but any relevant information is also appreciated.