First approach for modelling the physical foaming of tannin-based thermoset foams

摘要

In the present paper, the foaming process of biosourced thermoset foams was considered at the lab scale with the aim of creating a numerical model able to simulate, for the first time, their manufacturing process. A multi-physical model was thus generated, having as driving force of the expansion the inner gas pressure of the foam, calculated from mass, heat and mechanical balances. In addition, and this is another originality of our work, the study was implemented in a 2D axisymmetric mobile mesh. The simulation was not stopped just after the rise of temperature and the related material expansion but, instead, a complete simulation of the whole process was offered, i.e., including cooling. Simulated and experimental data such as temperature changes and foam growth were compared, and a fair agreement was observed, suggesting the relevance of our approach.