Abstract
Cushioning performance of flexible open-cell polyurethane and closed-cell polyethylene foams were compared. The study included incorporation of centrally placed square voids of varying cross-sectional area into standard samples. Deceleration and internal void pressure were monitored as a function of time.
Closed cell foams gave relatively stable shock performance virtually independent of void size whereas open-cell foams gave consistent peak G values only up to a critical void size after which peak G increased with increasing void size. Results are discussed after suitably considering G and pressure traces to more fully understand the contribution of the gaseous phase during impact. Observed phenomena were mainly related to gas compression in closed-cell structures compared with a complex mixture of gas flow and compression in open-cell foams.
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