Title: Failure strength predictions for closed-cell polyvinyl chloride foams

Abstract

This paper describes an effort to model mechanical strength of closed-cell polyvinyl chloride foams under static loading. The study presented here is a continuation of an earlier study to model elastic stiffness of closed-cell polyvinyl chloride foams as effective transversely isotropic materials. An engineering approach is used in the study and governing equations are developed for predicting the strength of polyvinyl chloride foams. To account for foam microstructure and cell-shape anisotropy on foam strength, a unit cell representation of the polyvinyl chloride foam microstructure is used to derive equations to assess tensile and shear strengths of polyvinyl chloride foams. The differential stretching of polyvinyl chloride foam cell walls (in the rise direction and in the in-plane directions) on the strength of the foam-matrix polymer is also taken into account in modeling the mechanical strength of polyvinyl chloride closed-cell foams. The behavior of closed-cell polyvinyl chloride foams under compression is different from that under tension. In the paper, the equations for predicting compressive strength of closed-cell polyvinyl chloride foams are based on an approximate theory developed in an earlier study of compressive strength of unidirectional composites. The validity of the foam strength predictive equations, derived in the paper, is first demonstratedmore » through comparison of the predictions with the results on Divinycell H (DIAB) foams obtained from a systematic in-house test program. A comparison is also carried out between the strength predictions and the test results published by two polyvinyl chloride foam manufacturers for different density polyvinyl chloride foams. Good agreements are found for all the different density foams studied.« less

Authors:

Lo, King H.  ^[1];

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• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-3932-2934"

Miyase, Akira ^[1]; Wang, Su Su ^[1]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. National Wind Energy Center, University of Houston, USA

Publication Date:

Thu May 17 00:00:00 EDT 2018

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1437493

Grant/Contract Number:  

EE0000295

Resource Type:

Published Article

Journal Name:

Journal of Composite Materials

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Name: Journal of Composite Materials Journal Volume: 52 Journal Issue: 30; Journal ID: ISSN 0021-9983

Publisher:

SAGE Publications

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English