Rheological Aspects of Rotational Foam Molding

Experimental studies on the foaming performance of several polyethylene polymers under atmospheric conditions revealed that the developed cellular structure and final foam properties were profoundly influenced by the rheological properties of the polymer materials. Foaming was carried out in monolayer and skin-foam layer moldings. The uniaxial extensional viscosity was quantified and the foam was characterized based on bulk density, bubble size, and bubble concentration. It was found that the foam processing window was determined and bound by melt viscosity and melt elasticity. Melt strength and strainhardening can substantially improve the foaming performance and play a significant role in determining the final morphological structure

Keywords:

Foam , rheology , melt strength , rotational molding