Physics of polymer foams

摘要

The commercial driving force behind the continuing development of novel and improved polymer foams is cost reduction. However, as polymer foam densities become ever lower the control and optimisation of the cellular structure becomes more complex. Only a fundamental understanding of the relationships between composition, cellular structure, matrix morphology, and the resulting physical and mechanical properties will facilitate progress in the controlled optimisation of foaming processes. The foamability of a polymer critically depends both on the materials as well as the particular processing technology used. Current efforts aimed at enhancing foam systems available today must therefore take into account both aspects in order to successfully implement new ideas and approaches on the industrial scale.