Post Doc in Mechanics of Polymer Foaming
Polymers are commonly foamed in the solid phase by the expansion of a dissolved gas such as CO2. The foaming process is sensitive to the constitutive properties of the polymer, and the final porosity is dictated by bursting of the cell walls. There is a need to model the solid foaming process for a range of polymers in order to determine the sensitivity of foaming to the properties of the polymer and to the process variables (such as thermal history and CO2 content). The foam expansion response is sensitive to the constitutive properties of the polymer.
