The flexural, shear and tensile modulus of high density polyethylene structural foams were measured in order to determine the effect of skin thickness on their response under load. Data for foam density between 424 and 725 kg/m3 and skin thickness between 3 and 57% are compared with different models taken from the literature. It is found that the I-beam model of Hobbs and the simple square power-law of Moore are the best models for the flexural and tensile modulus, respectively. For the shear modulus, all the models tested performed equally well.
GibsonL.J., and AshbyM.F.Cellular Solids: Structure and Properties, 2nd Ed., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1997).
5.
KhemaniK.C.Polymeric Foams: Science and Technology, ACS, Washington (1997).
6.
KlempnerD., and SendijarevicV.Handbook of Polymeric Foams and Foam Technology, 2nd Ed., Hanser, Munich (2004).
7.
MooreD.R., CouzensK.H., and IremongerM.J.J. Cell. Plast, 10, (1974), 135.
8.
GonzalezH.Jr.J. Cell. Plast., 12(1), (1976), 49.
9.
HobbsS.Y.J. Cell. Plast., 12(5), (1976), 258.
10.
LifshitzJ.M.Polym. Eng. Sci., 23(3), (1983), 144.
11.
ZhangY., RodrigueD., and Aït-KadiA.J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 90, (2003), 2139.
12.
ZhangY., RodrigueD., and Aït-KadiA.J. Cell. Plast., 39, (2003), 451.
13.
ZhangY., RodrigueD., and Aït-KadiA.J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 90, (2003), 2130.
14.
NielsenL.E.Mechanical Properties of Polymers and Composites, Vol. 2, Marcel Dekker, New York (1974).
15.
SemerdjievS.Introduction to Structural Foam, SPI, Brookfield Center (1982).
16.
ProgelhofR.C., and EilersK.Soc. Plast. Eng., DIVTEC, Woburn (1977).
17.
RodrigueD., ZhangZ., and Aït-KadiA.Can. J. Chem. Eng., 80, (2002), 1214.
18.
PramukP.F.Polym. Eng. Sci., 16, (1976), 559.
19.
MehtaB.S., and ColomboE.A.J. Cell. Plast., 12, (1976), 59.
20.
HartsockJ.A.Design of Foam-Filled Structures, Technomic Pub., Stanford (1969).
21.
IremongerM.J., and LawlerJ.P.J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 25, (1980), 809.
22.
ShutovF.A.Integral/Structural Polymer Foams, Springer-Verlag, Berlin (1986).
23.
BlanchetJ.F.“Effet de l'épaisseur de peau sur les propriétés en flexion et en torsion des mousses structurales de polyéthylène”, M.Sc. Thesis, Department of Chemical Engineering, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada (2003).
24.
KumarV., and WellerJ.E.Polym. Eng. Sci., 34(3), (1994), 169.
25.
XuJ., KishbaughL., and CasaleM.Proc. ANTEC 2002, paper 590 (2002).
26.
XuJ., and KishbaughL.J. Cell. Plast, 39, (2003), 29.
27.
ZhangY., RodrigueD., and Aït-KadiA.J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 90, (2003), 2120.
28.
McLaughlinR.Inter. J. Eng. Sci., 15, (1977), 237.
29.
FarberJ.N., and FarrisR.J.J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 34, (1987), 2093.
