Micromechanical modelling of intracellular pressure-induced viscoelastic shrinkage of foams: application to expanded polystyrene

• Published in: European journal of mechanics, A, Solids Vol. 18; no. 2; pp. 201 - 218
• Main Authors: Fen-Chong, Teddy, Hervé, Eveline, Zaoui, André
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Paris Elsevier Masson SAS 01.03.1999; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Cellular; Exact sciences and technology; expanded polystyrene; foams; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); micromechanics; Physics; Polymer industry, paints, wood; shrinkage; Solid mechanics; Static elasticity; Static elasticity (thermoelasticity...); Structural and continuum mechanics; Technology of polymers; viscoelasticity; expanded polystyrene; shrinkage; viscoelasticity; micromechanics; foams; Expanded material; Cell structure; Viscoelasticity; Foam(plastics); Homogenization; Styrene polymer; Correspondence principle; Shrinkage; Microstructure; Modeling
• ISSN: 0997-7538; 1873-7285
• DOI: 10.1016/S0997-7538(99)80012-6

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) beads have a cellular microstructure with closed cell membranes made of polystyrene. After demoulding, the intracellular temperature and pressure decrease down to room temperature and to atmospheric pressure. It is here shown that after processing, EPS shrinkage and after-shrinkage can be partly correlated to the intracellular pressure decrease, assuming that polystyrene is viscoelastic. To do so, use is made of micromechanical techniques in non-isothermal, linear, non-ageing viscoelasticity.