聚丙烯微孔发泡材料泡孔结构控制的研究进展

聚丙烯微孔发泡材料具有较好的性能和较高的比强度,泡孔结构是影响聚丙烯微孔发泡材料性能的关键因素,其主要由聚丙烯基体性质、共混改性、添加纳米粒子、控制工艺条件等因素控制。从这些影响因素出发,综述了近年来聚丙烯微孔发泡材料泡孔结构控制的研究进展,并展望了其应用前景。     

碳纳米管增强铝基复合泡沫的阻尼性能

通过填加造孔剂方法制备了碳纳米管（CNTs）增强铝基复合泡沫,采用热机械分析仪研究了测试温度、频率、外加振幅、泡沫的孔隙率和CNTs含量对其阻尼性能的影响,并分析了相关阻尼机制。结果表明:复合泡沫铝的阻尼性能随孔隙率和振幅的增大而提高,随着频率的增加而下降。在环境测试温度25~200℃范围内,复合泡沫的损耗因子变化较小;当温度高于200℃后,损耗因子随温度升高有明显的提高。CNTs的加入可以显著提高泡沫铝的阻尼性能,常温下3.0% CNTs增强的铝基复合泡沫的损耗因子达0.27,为泡沫铝的3.71倍。复合泡沫的阻尼机制主要为位错阻尼、晶界阻尼、孔隙阻尼、CNTs的本征阻尼和CNTs-Al间界面阻尼,其中本征和界面阻尼发挥了重要的增强作用。      

Fabrication and characterization of closed-cell aluminum foams with different contents of multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Closed-cell aluminum foams with different contents of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were fabricated by using modified melt foaming method. In order to effectively disperse MWCNTs, orthogonal tests were utilized to determine the optimal ball-milling parameters. The existence forms of MWCNTs in aluminum foams and the compressive properties of the foams were investigated. Considered from the dispersion degree and structural changes of MWCNTs, the optimal parameters were obtained, the parameters mainly referred to weight ratio of MWCNTs to aluminum powder, weight ratio of ball to powder, milling rate and milling time, respectively. The results showed that MWCNTs mainly existed in three forms: totally embedded in cell wall, partly embedded in cell wall and totally exposed on cell wall surface, respectively. The reasons were mainly due to the existence of defects and amorphous carbon on the surface of MWCNTs, which promoted the wettability between the aluminum matrix and MWCNTs. In addition, with the MWCNT content increasing, the yield strength, structural stiffness and energy absorption capacity of the foams increased first and then decreased. Meanwhile, under the present conditions the foams with MWCNT content of 0.5% possessed the optimal comprehensive mechanical properties and the reasons were discussed.     

Tailoring properties of reticulated vitreous carbon foams with tunable density

Reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) foams were manufactured by multiple replications of a polyurethane foam template structure using ethanolic solutions of phenolic resin. The aims were to create an algorithm of fine tuning the precursor foam density and ensure an open-cell reticulated porous structure in a wide density range. The precursor foams were pyrolyzed in inert atmospheres at 700°C, 1100°C and 2000°C, and RVC foams with fully open cells and tunable bulk densities within 0.09–0.42 g/cm³ were synthesized. The foams were characterized in terms of porous structure, carbon lattice parameters, mechanical properties, thermal conductivity, electric conductivity, and corrosive resistance. The reported manufacturing approach is suitable for designing the foam microstructure, including the strut design with a graded microstructure.     

Moulded polypropylene foams produced using chemical or physical blowing agents: structure–properties relationship

Polypropylene (PP) foams have become essential items due to their excellent properties. Nevertheless, obtaining net-shaped PP foams with medium relative densities is a complicated issue. In this article, two processes able to produce moulded PP foams in this density range are presented. One of them is based on a modification of the pressure quench foaming method and therefore uses a physical blowing agent (CO₂). The second one is the improved compression moulding technique which uses a chemical blowing agent (azodicarbonamide). PP foams with relative densities in the range between 0.25 and 0.6 and cylindrical shape were prepared using these foaming techniques. A common PP grade (instead a highly branched one) was used to obtain the samples, showing, that by combining the appropriate foaming technique, the adequate moulds, suitable blowing agent and proper foaming parameters, net-shaped PP foams with excellent properties can be produced starting from a conventional PP grade. Samples were characterized by analyzing their cellular structure and their mechanical properties. Results have showed that depending on the chosen foaming route isotropic or anisotropic structures with cell sizes ranging from 40 to 350 μm and open cell content in the range between 0 and 65% can be obtained. Moreover, mechanical properties are highly influenced by the production route and chemical composition of the foams. For instance, the stiffer materials at relative densities higher than 0.4 are the ones produced using the chemical blowing agent while at relative densities lower than 0.4 are the ones produced using the physical blowing agent.     

Processing of Sliding Hybrid Composites with Aluminum Alloy Matrix Containing Solid Lubricants

This paper presents the information about manufacturing processes of hybrid composites with aluminum alloy matrix containing glassy carbon as a solid lubricant. Two methods have been described: the method based on mixing glassy carbon and ceramic particles with a liquid metal matrix; and the precursor method. In the precursor method, carbon is introduced into a composite with the application of liquid precursor and porous ceramic foams. It is then followed by precursor pyrolysis where, as the result, glassy carbon is obtained. Ceramic foams help liquid precursor penetrate the ceramic spheroid pores by forming a thin film of glassy carbon on their walls. Composites produced by the both methods feature good tribological properties. Sliding friction coefficient in air of the new obtained by mixing method composite against cast iron (μ = 0.08 ? 0.17 at wearing in and 0.12 after wearing in by reciprocating sliding and 0.14 ? 0.17 by rotating sliding) is much lower than in the case of composite containing only ceramic foam as a reinforcing phase (μ = 0.28 ? 0.36 by reciprocating sliding and 0.28 ? 0.40 by rotating).     

Thermal conductivity improvement of composite carbon foams based on tannin-based disordered carbon matrix and graphite fillers

Carbonaceous porous matrices were prepared from a tannin-based resin by physical foaming, having improved thermal properties by addition of various kinds and various amounts of graphite fillers. The resultant composite carbon foams presented much higher thermal conductivity, making them suitable for hosting phase-change materials with the aim of using them in seasonal storage applications. These materials were investigated in terms of porous structure, thermal and mechanical properties. It was shown that, unlike what was a priori expected, smaller particles were far more suitable for getting conductive, strong and porous matrices. The smaller were the particles, the better were the results. These findings were explained and justified, making such biomass-based composite carbon foams interesting and cheap candidates for thermal storage applications.     

Impact of melt rheology on zein foam properties

Zein, the main protein fraction in maize, is left as a by-product from bio-ethanol production. The protein has been investigated as a material for a long time, but mainly in the form of films. In contrast, foamed zein is presented in this article. Zein foams may perhaps be used, e.g. as trays for biodegradable food packages or as scaffolds for tissue engineering. A batch method for manufacturing solid foams was successfully developed, the foams being manufactured by evaporation of solvent from zein resins. In order to be suitable for foam formation, a resin must possess gas-retaining properties, which can be predicted by extensional rheology. The presence of plasticizer in some of the resins decreased their extensional viscosity, and this in turn affected the foaming process. Although all the resins displayed strain-hardening behaviour, there was coalescence of pores in all the foams. Insufficient extensional viscosity resulted in the collapse of pore walls during foam expansion. Structure analysis showed, e.g. that most pores were elongated along the main axis of the mould in which the foams were manufactured. The plasticizer content in the resins had no significant effect on the mechanical properties of the foams.     

球磨对碳纳米管增强泡沫铝基复合材料压缩与吸能性能的影响

因碳纳米管（CNTs）具有优异的性能,被认为是金属基复合材料理想的增强体,因此如何制备得到CNTs增强体均匀分散的金属基复合材料一直是本领域的研究热点。本文通过原位化学气相沉积（CVD）、短时球磨和填加造孔剂的工艺成功制备了CNTs增强的泡沫铝基复合材料,着重研究了球磨过程对复合泡沫铝的微观形貌、压缩性能和吸能性能的影响规律。结果表明,随着球磨时间的延长,CNTs的分散性提高并逐步嵌入铝基体中,使复合泡沫铝的组织均匀性得到改善。相对于未球磨的含CNTs 3.0wt%的复合泡沫材料,当球磨时间增加至90 min时,复合泡沫铝的孔壁硬度、屈服强度和吸能能力分别提高了67%、126%和343%。     

The influence of the stabilizing agent SDS on porosity development in alkali-activated fly-ash based foams

Alkali activated foams (known also as “geopolymer foams”) are formed by the adding of a foaming agent, such as Al powder or H₂O₂, to an alkali activated matrix which can be based on, for example, fly ash, slag or meta-kaolin. The foaming agent decomposes and reacts inside the matrix, resulting in the release of gasses which form pores within the structure. Such pores have to be created before the alkali activated foams harden. In order to prevent the escape of these gasses from the foam, a stabilizing agent can be added to the foam mixture. This paper presents the results of tests involving the pore-foaming process in the case of highly porous, alkali activated, fly-ash based foams. Between 0.5 and 1.5 mass % of H₂O₂ was added to the fly ash precursor as a foaming agent, as well as different amounts (varying from 0.1 to 4.0 mass %) of the selected stabilizing agent, which is known as SDS - sodium dodecyl sulfate. The physical, mechanical, and microstructural properties of the hardened alkali-activated foams were determined. Their pore structures were characterised by SEM, as well as by a three-dimensional (3D) technique, X-ray computed micro-tomography. The advantage of the latter method is that a better insight can be obtained into the characteristics of the hardened pore structure, including information about its homogeneity and the pore size distribution. The influence of the amount of the added foaming agent, as well as that of the amount of the stabilization agent, was evaluated, and optimal addition mass percentages were determined. In the case of the best mixtures, the investigated hardened pore structures showed relatively good mechanical properties, and could therefore be used for various applications in the building industry.     

空心球/铝基复合泡沫材料制备及性能研究

采用粉末冶金技术制备了不同孔隙率的空心球/铝基复合泡沫材料,对其进行T7热处理,并开展了不同孔隙率材料压缩性能及隔声性能的测试。结果表明,制备的泡沫材料中空心球均匀分布于基体内,且空心球与基体之间形成明显的过渡层;空心球/铝合金基复合泡沫材料的压缩应力-应变曲线呈现线弹性、应力平台、致密化3个阶段。随着孔隙率的增加,空心球/铝合金基复合泡沫材料的压缩峰值应力、平台应力及能量吸收能力均呈先上升后下降的变化趋势;随着孔隙率的增加,复合泡沫材料隔声性能逐渐下降。     

Si元素对碳纳米管增强铝基复合泡沫组织与性能的影响

针对金属基复合材料,添加合金元素是提升其综合性能的有效途径.本文通过高能球磨和填加造孔剂法,制备了添加Si元素的碳纳米管(CNTs)增强铝基(CNTs/Al-Si)复合泡沫,通过准静态压缩实验测试其压缩性能和吸能性能,进一步研究烧结温度和不同Si元素含量对CNTs/Al-Si复合泡沫微观组织、压缩性能和吸能性能的影响,...     

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes/silicone conductive foams and their piezoresistive behaviors

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes/silicone conductive nanocomposites are of great significance because of their unique electrical and mechanical properties and are expected to open up a new field of applications as smart functional materials. Especially their noticeable piezoresistive behaviors can be utilized to produce flexible tactile sensors with large sizes but low costs. To enhance the sensitivity of the piezoresistive property, a foaming procedure was introduced to the conductive polymeric composites. A series of novel multi-walled carbon nanotubes/silicone conductive foamed nanocomposites were fabricated with different types of foaming agents to obtain a diverse porous structure. The porous structures of the foams, the distribution and orientation state of the multi-walled carbon nanotubes in the silicone matrix were both observed using a laser microscope and SEM with or without a compressive load. The influences of the porous structure and porosity on the foam were studied. It was found that a different porosity and different voids structure affected the density, elastic modulus, resistivity as well as piezoresistive property significantly. A piezoresistive model for the conductive fillers reinforced elastomeric composites was developed, the calculated results of resistive variations were used to compare to the measured values. Although the overall trends of the resistance changes matched, notable separations were found between the theoretical values and the measured values, which are thought to be caused by the viscoelasticity of the silicone matrix.     

Effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes on mechanical,thermal and electrical properties of phenolic foam via in-situ polymerization

In this study, phenolic foam (PF)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) composites were fabricated by in-situ polymerization, and carbonized foams based on these PF foams were prepared and the electrical property was investigated. TEM results indicated excellent dispersion of MWCNTs in the phenolic resin matrix. Scanning electron microscope results indicated that PF composites exhibited smaller cell size, thicker cell wall thickness, and higher cell density, compared with pure PF. The incorporating of MWCNTs significantly improved the mechanical properties of PF. All PF composites showed a lower thermal conductivity versus pure PF. Moreover, the carbonized pure and composites PF exhibited open-cell three-dimensional skeleton carbon structure and the MWCNTs were well-dispersed on the surface of the skeletons. It is noteworthy that the introduction of MWCNTs significantly improved the electrical performances of foams and carbonized foams by construction of conductive MWCNTs network.     

The elliptic paraboloid failure criterion for cellular solids and brittle foams

Summary Cellular solids and brittle foams are increasingly finding application in constructions mainly as core materials for loaded sandwich structures where the loading of the structure generates multiaxial stress states on them. It has been established that the principal mechanism of deformation is based on the cell-wall bending and closed-cell as well as open-cell foams present similar stiffnesses. Therefore simple relations are found for their tensile, compressive and shear strengths and their elastic properties.It has been established in this paper that the modes of failure of such materials can be satisfactorily described by the elliptic paraboloid failure criterion for the general orthotropic body. Then, as soon as the yield or failure stresses in simple tension and compression are measured along the three principal stress directions of the material the failure locus is unequivocally defined and all the properties of the material under any complicated load can be accurately established. However, since these materials fail in the compression-compression-compression octant of the principal stress space by elastic buckling, the EPFS-criterion is cut-off by an ellipsoid surface, with intercepts along the principal axes the respective compressive failure stresses.The criterion thus established yields satisfactory results. It has been tested among others in a reticulated vitreous carbon foam as well as in an aluminium foam. The experimental results for these foams existing in the literature are fitting better with this universal criterion than any other considered, thus indicating the validity of the elliptic paraboloid failure criterion also for this type of materials.     

Processing and characterization of polyurethane nanocomposite foam reinforced with montmorillonite–carbon nanotube hybrids

This study investigates the effect of montmorillonite carbon nanotube hybrids on the final properties of polyurethane (PU) nanocomposite foams. The hybrids were fabricated by chemical vapour deposition and dispersed in rigid polyurethane foam by an in situ polymerization process. The resulting morphology and dispersion were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. PU nanocomposite foams have revealed the presence of cells of smaller size and an increase of cell density when compared to neat polymer foams. Thermogravimetric studies revealed that addition of the hybrids nanoparticles improve the thermal properties of the resulting nanocomposites. Addition of small amounts of montmorillonite carbon nanotube hybrids has enhanced the compressive properties of the resulting PU nanocomposite foams making it suitable for several applications.     

Biodegradable polylactide/hydroxyapatite nanocomposite foam scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications

Supercritical carbon dioxide processing of poly-L-lactide (PLLA)/hydroxyapatite (nHA) nanocomposites was investigated as a means to prepare foams suitable as scaffolds in bone tissue engineering applications. For given foaming parameters, addition of nHA to the PLLA gave reduced cell sizes and improved homogeneity in the size distribution, but did not significantly affect the degree of crystallinity, which remained of the order of 50 wt% in all the foams. The compressive modulus and strength were primarily influenced by the porosity and there was no significant reinforcement of the matrix by the nHA. The mechanical properties of the foams were nevertheless comparable with those of trabecular bone, and by adjusting the saturation pressure and depressurization rate it was possible to generate porosities of about 85 %, an interconnected morphology and cell diameters in the range 200-400 μm from PLLA containing 4.17 vol% nHA, satisfying established geometrical requirements for bone replacement scaffolds.     

泡沫铝填充碳纤维增强树脂复合材料薄壁管的压缩变形行为与吸能特性

将填加造孔剂法制备的泡沫铝物理嵌入碳纤维增强树脂(Carbon fiber reinforced plastic,CFRP)复合材料薄壁管中,从而获得泡沫铝填充CFRP复合材料薄壁管的复合结构。针对CFRP薄壁管、泡沫铝和泡沫铝填充CFRP复合材料薄壁管分别开展准静态压缩试验测试其压缩和吸能性能,并在压缩过程中采用数字图像相关技术(Digital image correlation,DIC)同步分析其变形模式;进一步研究在不同环境温度下(25~150℃)泡沫铝填充CFRP复合材料薄壁管的压缩与吸能性能及失效模式。结果表明:泡沫铝作为填充芯材改变了CFRP复合材料薄壁管的压缩变形行为,由单一CFRP复合材料薄壁管的散射开花失效转变为泡沫铝填充CFRP复合材料薄壁管的纤维层断裂失效。同CFRP复合材料薄壁管相比,泡沫铝填充CFRP复合材料薄壁管的应力波动显著减小。随环境温度的升高,CFRP复合材料薄壁管、泡沫铝和泡沫铝填充CFRP复合材料薄壁管的压缩与吸能性能均不断降低,但泡沫铝与CFRP复合材料薄壁管之间的交互作用增强,泡沫铝对CFRP复合材料薄壁管的增强作用在高温下表现更为显著。      

Morphology and properties of injection-moulded carbon-nanofibre poly(etheretherketone) foams

Poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) is a high performance polymer that cannot usually be foamed reliably using conventional injection-moulding processes. Here, vapour-grown carbon nanofibres (CNFs) are introduced to stabilise the foaming process, and the resulting morphology of injection-moulded integral foams is investigated in detail. Different image analysis techniques revealed the positive effect of the nanofiller on the cellular structure. Electron microscopy confirmed a homogeneous dispersion of the nanofibres in the cellular PEEK cores. The mechanical properties of the foam injection-moulded samples, in bending, showed an increase in yield strength and elastic modulus with nanofibre loading fractions up to 15 wt%. Although the compressive properties of the foams were reduced as compared to the solid-polymer, the CNFs clearly offset this reduction in properties. Detailed differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis provide further evidence of an interaction between the matrix and the nanoscale filler.     

Effects of density and strain rate on properties of syntactic foams

Syntactic foams are characterized for high strain rate compressive properties using Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) technique in this study. The results at high strain rates are compared to quasi-static strain rate compressive properties of the same material. Four different types of syntactic foams are fabricated with the same matrix resin system but different size microballoons for testing purpose. The microballoons have the same outer radius. However, their internal radius is different leading to a difference in their density and strength. The volume fraction of the microballoons in syntactic foams is maintained at 0.65. Such an approach is helpful in isolating and identifying the contribution of matrix and microballoons to the dynamic compressive properties of syntactic foams. Results demonstrate considerable increase in peak strength of syntactic foams for higher strain rates and increasing density. It is also observed that the elastic modulus increases with increasing strain rate and density. Scanning electron microscopy is carried out to understand the fracture modes of these materials and the density effect on high strain rate properties of syntactic foam.