THE ROLE OF RHEOLOGY IN NON-PRESSURIZED POLYMER FOAMING SYSTEMS

摘要

This work explores the influence of rhcological properties on polymer foam development in non-pressurized systems. To understand the complex contributions of rheology on different stages of the foam processing in such systems, visualization studies were conducted using a polymer-foaming microscopy setup. Morphological analysis was used to determine the rheological processing window in terms of shear viscosity, elastic modulus, melt strength and strain-hardening, intended for the production of foams with greater foam expansion and more uniform bubble size distribution.