unidentified foam under 1960s bath ?!

[GarethO]

During some recent bathroom maintenance we removed a bath panel on a 1960s bath and found some strange white rigid foam under the bath. Photos are attached with this post. The foam is very low density, crushable to a powder, is rigid rather than elastic. It does not look like polystyrene or asbestos (we hope!). It could have been put their in the 70s during a re-decoration.
It is loose, not attached to the underside of the bath, in large lumps. It does not seem to serving any purpose such as structural or insulation.
It's a complete mystery as to what it is or why it is there. Does anybody have any suggestions ? We would like to solve this mystery!
cheers,
Gareth (new to this forum)

 

[JohnD]

I reckon somebody put it in hoping to improve thermal insulation.

Look at the PVC insulated cables I can see. Have they done sticky where they touched it?

Try lighting a small piece on your barbie. I reckon it will be some form of plastic foam. No reason to suspect asbestos.

I suppose it might be cavity wall insulation but if so it would be broken up from boards about two to four inches thick. Maybe it is broken up packing.

 

[GarethO]

Thanks John, yes it is definitely some form of plastic. Very probably flammable - I'll try to burn some in the garden later. The PVC cables are not sticky, look quite modern (probably earthing for bath ?).
The foam has very similar consistency to "oasis", the stuff used for sticking flower stalks into for flower arranging. I've googled oasis (floral foam) composition, and it seems to be a phenolic thermoset, containing formaldehyde. So the dust would be an irritant, long-term exposure risk of cancer. so bad, but not as scary as asbestos.
Our best-guess is that someone shoved it under the bath just to clear up !
cheers Gareth

 

[footprints]

Agree with JohnD.
Lighting a small bit outside the house in fresh air should allay your asbestos fears.

 

[JohnD]

for info, PVC cables go sticky if they are in contact with expanded polystyrene, that's a way of identifying it.

(they also crack and the electrical insulation falls off when moved)

the insulation might be a Celotex or Kingspan type, but it's usually yellow or pink.

 

[mfarrow]

Expanded polystyrene is bad for cables, but expanded PIR foam/celotex/kingspan should be OK.

It looks like foam style cavity wall insulation. Perhaps some pipes going through the wall to downstairs or the soil pipe to outside. I doubt someone's put it in there deliberately.

 

[Nige F]

As above, cavity wall foam from the 70's injected wet and got in through holes in inner wall.

 

[ianmcd]

+1 its cavity wall insulation.

 

[Ian H]

It's the same in my house. Patchy as **** within the cavity.