• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.297-302
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• 2023

There are several methods for shaping foams, but the most commonly used methods involve the use of resin mixed with a foaming agent, which is then foamed under high temperature and pressure in the case of compression foaming, or foamed under high temperature without applying pressure in the case of atmospheric foaming. The polymers used for foaming require design and analysis of optimal foaming conditions in order to achieve foaming under ambient pressure. Environmentally friendly bio-based polymers face challenges when it comes to foaming on their own, which has led to ongoing research in blending them with resins capable of traditional foam production. This study investigates changes in the characteristics of bio-based polymer-EVA blend foams based on variations in the content of bio-based polymers and explores the optimal foaming conditions according to crosslinking. The correlation between foaming characteristics and mechanical properties of the foams was examined. Through this research, we gained insights into how the content of bio-based polymers affects the properties of foams containing bio-based polymers and identified differences between ambient pressure and high-pressure foaming processes. Additionally, the feasibility of commercializing bio-based polymer-EVA composite foams was confirmed.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.579-585
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• 2012

Polystyrene/carbon nanotube (CNT) microcellular foams were prepared to have electrically conductive properties via high internal phase emulsion polymerization. In this study, we have investigated the effects of surface modification of CNT, surfactant content and dispersion time to improve the stability of emulsion and the electrical conductivity of foam. Acid treatment and a surfactant were used to effectively disperse CNTs in the aqueous phase. In the organic phase, CNTs were used after a surface modification with organic functional groups. The degree of dispersion of CNTs was estimated by the electrical conductivity of resultant microcellular foams. With raw CNTs dispersed with the surfactant in the aqueous phase, substantial conductivity increase was observed but the foams were slightly shrunk. The foams prepared with organically modified CNTs dispersed in the organic phase showed stable cell morphology without shrinkage, but displayed limitation to improve the conductivity.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.293-299
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• 2015

Conductive microcellular foams consisted of polystrene (PS) and polydopamine-coated carbon nanotube (PDA-CNT) were prepared via high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) polymerization and their morphology and electrical conductivity were investigated. CNT as a conductive nanofiller was modified to PDA-CNT by coating with hydrophilic PDA on the surface of CNT to increase aqueous phase dispersion and emulsion stability. It was possible to prepare the HIPEs having higher PDA-CNT content and the resultant foams having improved conductivity due to its good dispersion. The foams showed the morphology of interconnected cell structure. As PDA-CNT content increased, yield stress and storage modulus increased and cell size reduced. The PDA-CNT content showing electrical percolation threshold was ca. 0.58 wt% and the conductivity at PDA-CNT content of 5 wt% was increased to $10^{-3}S/m$.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.759-766
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• 2002

Regular, spherical and isotropic open-microcellular foams having low density were prepared by the high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) polymerization mainly composed of styrene monomer and water The effects of Polymerization conditions. such as the content of water, divinylbenzene as a crosslinking agent and dodecane as a chain transfer agent, were investigated based on the tell size and foam properties. The microstructural morphology was observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the compression modulus of the foam was evaluated using compression test. The dropwise feeding of the aqueous phase into the oil phase was more effective than the batch feeding in producing the uniform and stable foam. Agitation speed and surfactant strongly influenced on the cell size and the window size between water droplets. Introduction of chain transfer agent increased the cell size, whereas it decreased the window size. Compression modulus increased with the crosslinking agent, but decreased with the chain transfer agent.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.508-515
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• 2002

The effects of the crosslinking caused by irradiation dose, molecular weights of the foaming materials, and various foaming processes on the foam structure of the polypropylene (PP) were investigated. The maximum gel content of the PP was 48% when the sheet was irradiated with 3.2 Mrad. This high gel content improved the cell structures by providing high thermal stability. The increase of both the gel content and structural development were stopped at the irradiation dose exceeding 3.2 Mrad. The increase of the molecular weights served to help produce a foam with particularly fine and even cell structures, along with improved thermal stability as well.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.183-188
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• 2008

Reinforced open cell micro structured foams were prepared by the polymerization of high internal phase emulsions incorporating inorganic thickeners. Organoclays were used as oil phase thickener, and sodium montmorillonite was used as aqueous phase thickener. Rheological properties of emulsions increased as oil phase thickener concentration and agitation speed increased, due to the reduced drop size reflecting both competition between continuous and dispersed phase viscosities and increase of shear force. Drop size variation with thickener concentration could be explained by a dimensional analysis between capillary number and viscosity ratio. Upon the foams polymerized by the emulsions, compression properties, such as crush strength and Young's modulus were measured and compared. Among the microcellular foams, the foam incorporated with an organoclay having reactive group showed outstanding properties. It is speculated that the exfoliated silicate layers inside polystyrene matrix, resulting in nanocomposite foam, are the main reason why this foam has enhanced properties.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.802-812
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• 2016

Silicone foam is very useful as flame resistant material for many industrial areas such as high performance gasketing, thermal shielding, vibration mounts, and press pads. A silicone foam was prepared through simultaneous crosslinking and foaming by hydrogen condensation reaction of a vinyl-containing polysiloxane (V-silicone) and a hydroxyl-containing polysiloxane (OH-silicone) with hydride containing polysiloxane (H-silicone) in the presence of platinum catalyst and imorganic filler at room temperature. This is more convenient process for silicone foam manufacturing than the conventional separated crosslinking and foaming systems. Funtionalized silicones we used in this experiment were consisted with a V-silicone containing 1,0 meq/g of vinyl groups and a viscosity of 20 Pa-s, an OH-silicone with 0.4 meq/g of hydroxyl groups and a viscosity from 50 Pa-s, and an H-silicone containing 7.5 meq/g of hydride groups and a viscosity of 0.06 Pa.s. The effects of compositions of functionalized silicones and additives, such as catalyst and filler on the structure and mechanical properties of silicone foam were studied. 0.5 wt% of Pt catalyst was enough to accelerate the foaming rate of silicone resins. The addition of OH-silicone with lower viscosity accelerates the initial foaming rate and decreases the foam density, but the addition of V-silicone with lower viscosity reduces the tensile strength as well as the elongation. The final foam density, tensile strength, and elogation of silicone foam prepared under the SF-3 condition increase maximum to $0.58g/cm^3$, $3,51kg_f/cm^2$, and 176 %, repectively. We found out the filler alumina also played an important role to improve the mechanical properties of silicone foams in our foaming system.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.22-28
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• 2021

Products using diatomaceous earth, which are used in various fields, are optimized for moisture absorption, but have problems such as high hardness, powder flying, and rough surface feel. To improve this, an olefin-based foam having low hardness and high elasticity was prepared by adding an excessive amount of inorganic material using EVA (Ethylene vinyl acetate) having low hardness and excellent elasticity. Diatomaceous earth was added to impart moisture absorption characteristics of the foam, and the moisture absorption/drying characteristics showed a moisture absorption rate of about 10 to 15% and a moisture drying rate of 10 to 70% depending on the content of the diatomaceous earth. Through this study, it was possible to manufacture a water-absorbing olefin-based foam with diatomaceous earth added, and it was confirmed that the diatomaceous earth added to the foam had a great influence on water absorption and dissipation due to its microstructure and characteristics.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.34-40
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• 2012

The foaming of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) using supercritical $CO_2(scCO_2)$ was studied. In order to improve the melt strength, PBS was modified using the reactive compounding technique. Rapid decompression of $scCO_2$-saturated PBS at a temperature above the depressed $T_m$ yielded expanded microcellular foams. The resulting foam structure could be controlled by manipulating process conditions. Experiments varying the foaming temperature while holding other variables constant showed that higher temperatures produced larger cells and reduced cell densities. Higher saturated pressures led to higher nucleation densities and smaller cell sizes. Decreasing the rate of depressurization permitted a longer period of cell growth and therefore larger cells were obtained.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.60-65
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• 2021

In this study, the effect of pressure type and foaming agent on the microstructural change of Al foam produced by powder compact processing was investigated. Better foaming characteristic is easily obtained from extrusion process with strong plastic deformation and preheating than that by uniaxial pressing with preheating. In current powder compact foaming process using TiH2/MgH2 mixture as a foaming agent, a temperature of 670℃ and addition of 30% MgH2 in TiH2 foaming agent was chosen as the most suitable foaming condition. The aluminum (Al) foams with maximum porosity of around 70%, relatively regular pore size and distribution were successfully produced by means of the powder metallurgy method and extrusion process.