Abstract: | Tensile and compressive properties of polystyrene bead (PSB) foams at room temperature for strain rates from 10?3 to 105 min?1 can be represented as nearly linearly increasing functions of modulus or stress versus the logarithm of the strain rate. The shear modulus and tensile data, including failure properties, on 0.054 g/cc PSB foam at various temperatures and strain rates can be represented by master curves of log (stress or modulus) versus log (reduced strain rate). These master curves are formed by a time and temperature superposition method, wherein data at one temperature are superposed on data at another temperature by a shift along the log (strain rate) axis. These time–temperature shift factors are calculated using a form of the Arrhenius equation. |