Towards maximal cell density predictions for polymeric foams

POLYMER

卷:52

Article

Kim, Yeongyoon¹  Park, Chul B.²  Chen, P.^3,4  Thompson, Russell B.^1,4 

[1] Univ Waterloo, Dept Phys & Astron, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada

[2] Univ Toronto, Microcellular Plast Mfg Lab, Dept Mech & Ind Engn, Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, Canada

[3] Univ Waterloo, Dept Chem Engn, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada

[4] Univ Waterloo, Waterloo Inst Nanotechnol, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada

关键词: Self-consistent field theory;    Polymeric foams;    Classical nucleation theory;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.polymer.2011.09.046

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Self-consistent field theory is used to make direct predictions for the maximum possible cell densities for model polymer foam systems without recourse to classical nucleation theory or activation barrier kinetic arguments. Maximum possible cell density predictions are also made subject to constraining the systems to have maximal possible internal interface and to have well formed bubbles (no deviation from bulk conditions on the interior of the bubble). This last condition is found to be the most restrictive on possible cell densities. Comparison is made with classical nucleation theory and it is found that the surface tension is not an important independent consideration for predicting conditions consistent with high cell density polymeric foams or achieving the smallest possible bubble sizes. Instead, the volume free energy density, often labelled as a pressure difference, is the dominant factor for both cell densities and cell sizes. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

Free