Mechanical behavior of reinforced polyurethane foams

摘要

AbstractThe mechanical behavior of three‐phase reinforced polyurethane (PU) foam composites was investigated. Chopped‐glass fibers, glass beads, and graphite powder were used as reinforcing materials. Emperimental results indicated that chopped‐glass fibers enhance the foam mechanical properties in tension, while glass beads and graphite powder tend to improve the mechanical properties in compression. Microscopical observations revealed that the reinforcing filler location is within the cell walls acting as a matrix reinforcement. A modified Kerner equation, based on a model that assumes the superposition of a porous matrix and a rigid particulate filler, was compared with measured elastic moduli of the three‐phase composit