Polymer foams are difficult to characterise due rapidly evolving physical features from liquid porous solid. Swift changes in volume, porosity and moduli render many techniques challenging for the characterisation of foam curing during a manufacturing process. A technique that employs longitudinal speed sound an ultrasonic signal, informed by thermokinetic model, is proposed as situ, in-line, n...

Anisotropic polymer foams have been prepared, which exhibit a Poisson's ratio exceeding 1, and ratios of longitudinal to transverse stiffness exceeding 50. The foams are as much as 20 times stiffer in the longitudinal direction than the foams from which they were derived. The transformation process involved applying a uniaxial stress sufficient to produce 25% to 45% axial strain to open-cell po...

The rigid polyurethane foams (RPUFs) have been fabricated from high functional crude 4,4’-di-phenylmethane diisocyanate (CMDI) and polypropylene glycols (PPGs) for a wide range of surfactant concentration with an environmently friendly blowing agent (HFC 365mfc). Cream time, gel time, and tack-free time increased with the addition of surfactant. Foam density decreased rapidly to a minimum at 0....

Bi-continuous alumina/aluminium composites were made by infiltrating an alumina preform which had the structure of a reticulated ceramic foam. The low density preforms were prepared from a polyurethane suspension of alumina powder which was pyrolysed and sintered after foaming. Higher density preforms consisted of ceramic foams with open cells. All these preforms were infiltrated with 6061 alum...

A novel set of auxetic (negative Poisson's ratio) open cell polyurethane foam has been developed and tested under dynamic loading conditions to assess the viscoelastic response under white noise random excitation and compressive cycling. Foam pads normalized to standard ISO 13753 have been tested at room temperature and frequency bandwidth 10-500 Hz to assess transmissibility characteristics fo...

The halocarbon CFC-11 has extensively been used as a blowing agent for polyurethane (PUR) insulation foams in home appliances and for residential and industrial construction. Release of CFCs is an important factor in the depletion of the ozone layer. For CFC-11 the future atmospheric concentrations will mainly depend on the continued release from PUR foams. Little is known about rates and time ...

Bagasse flour (BF) was liquefied using bi-component polyhydric alcohol (PA) as a solvent and phosphoric acid as a catalyst in a microwave reactor. The effect of BF to solvent ratio and reaction temperatures on the liquefaction extent and characteristics of liquefied products were evaluated. The results revealed that almost 75% of the raw bagasse was converted into liquid products within 9 min a...

Today many raw materials used in factories may have a dangerous effect on the physiological system of workers. One of them, which is widely used in the polyurethane factories, is diisocyanates. These compounds are widely used in surface coatings, polyurethane foams, adhesives, resins, elastomers, binders, and sealants. Exposure to diisocyanates causes irritation to the skin, mucous membranes, e...