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Results for “FOAMED MATERIAL”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

Radial Inertia Effect on Dynamic Compressive Response of Polymeric Foam Materials

Polymeric foams have been extensively used in shock isolation applications because of their superior shock or impact energy absorption capability. However, as a type of soft condensed matter, the highly nonlinear, heterogeneous, and dissipative behavior of polymeric foams may result in an ineffective mitigation or isolation to shock/blast loading. To meet certain desired shock mitigation or isolation requirements, the polymeric foams need to be experimentally characterized to obtain their intrinsic material response. However, radial inertia during dynamic compression has become a severe issue and needs to be fully understood. In this study, we developed an analytical method to calculate the additional stress induced by radial inertia in a polymeric foam specimen. The radial inertia is generally caused by Poisson’s effect and associated with three different mechanisms – axial strain acceleration, large deformation, and Poisson’s ratio change. In conclusion, the effect of Poisson’s ratio change during deformation on radial inertia was specifically investigated for hyperelastic foam materials, and verified with experimental results obtained from Kolsky compression bar tests on a silicone foam.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Developing Microalgae-Based Non-Isocyanate Polyurethane Foam Materials

Polyurethane is a versatile material with a wide range of applications in the production of foam products such as car seats, mattresses, footwear, insulation foam, and more. The traditional process for producing polyurethane foam involves the fast reaction of isocyanate with water, which generates CO2 as a blowing agent. However, the use of isocyanate has raised concerns due to its potential for causing allergic reactions and aspiration symptoms. This has led to increased regulation of isocyanate, leading to a growing interest in developing alternatives. Non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) has emerged as a promising alternative to traditional toxic PU production. The most promising approach for producing NIPU is the aminolysis of cyclic carbonate with diamine. The NIPU produced through this process has a polyhydroxyurethane structure, which is similar to traditional PU chemistry. We have demonstrated that microalgal oil is a favored feedstock, as it can provide high reactivity for industrial applications. However, the NIPU production process does not generate gas, and a blowing agent is required to achieve the desired foam structure. One of the challenges in producing NIPU foam is to match the bubble formation and curing rates. We have developed a novel approach to producing NIPU foam that utilizes carbamate as a bifunctional blowing and crosslinking agent. We have used vegetable oil and microalgal oil as feedstocks to produce various NIPU for characterization. The development of microalgal NIPU provides an exciting opportunity for reducing the environmental impact of foam production and improving the safety of the materials used in the production process. The production of value-added NIPU foam can also drive down the cost of microalgal biorefinery, advancing the commercialization of microalgal biofuel.

algae↗
DOE OSTI2023

Secondary electron emission of reticulated foam materials

Complex material surfaces can reduce secondary electron emission (SEE) and sputtering via geometric trapping. In this work, the SEE yields for a range of open-cell reticulated carbon foam geometries are characterized using scanning electron microscopy. The total reduction in the SEE yield from carbon foams with a 3% volume fill density and 10–100 pores per inch (PPI) is shown to be between 23.5% and 35.0%. Contributions of a foam backplate are assessed by experimentally and analytically defining the critical parameter, transparency. The transparency of a foam is quantified and is shown to affect the primary electron angular dependence on the SEE yield. For the same thickness of 6 mm, it is found that higher PPI decreases foam transparency from 32% to 0% and reduces the SEE yield. The SEE yield from carbon foams is also shown to have weaker dependence on the morphology of the surface compared with fuzzes and velvets and less variation across individual sample surfaces due to the rigidity of their ligament structures and isotropic geometries.

Physics↗
DOE OSTI2021

Air-buoyant structures and vehicles

Air-buoyant structures, and vehicles incorporating air-buoyant structures, are provided. Hollow, air-buoyant structures may include a shell of ultra-low density aerogel material, foam material, or vapor-expanded material that is strong and stiff enough to withstand atmospheric pressure and lightweight enough to achieve buoyancy in air under evacuation. The shell may be reinforced with a suitable reinforcing material, such as helical nanofibers. The air-buoyant structures may also include vacuum pumps and valves operably connected to or integrated with the hollow shell. The vacuum pumps and valves may be configured to pump air out of the hollow shell and allow air back into the hollow shell to control buoyancy.

Beaux, II, Miles Frank↗
DOE OSTI2020

Study of Foam Fracturing for Enhanced Geothermal Systems Using Model Material

Foam fracturing is considered a potential approach to address water concerns with hydraulic fracturing in the development of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). In many EGS sites, water required for hydraulic fracturing is either unavailable, extremely costly or environmentally unsustainable. This paper presents work performed in the first year of a project sponsored by the U.S. DOE GTO Waterless Stimulation Initiative that investigates foam fracturing as an alternative approach to hydraulic fracturing. One element of this work explores foam formulations that are suitable for EGS conditions. A separate paper submitted to this workshop covers the relevant work on foam characterization (Thakore et al., 2020).This paper describes the development of an experimental setup for studying the applicability of foam fluids for hydraulic fracturing along with enhanced fracture efficiency through cyclic pressurization. The system is equipped with pulse rate automation, dual pulse valves for enhanced pulsation amplitudes, and other functions. It can perform static injection at a given pressurization rate, and pulsed injection at specified pulse size and rate. Both single-phase and foamed fluids can be used. Initial experimental results of foam fracturing using cement as a model material are reported. The observations from the experimental work will be presented and discussed.

Wang, Hong↗
DOE OSTI2019

Experimental Measurement and Analysis of Stress/Shock Wave Propagation Speed through Pre-strained Silicone Foam Pads under Lateral Confinement

Foam materials are increasingly utilized in aerospace, military, and transportation applications to mitigate blast or shock impact. When foam materials are subjected to an external high-speed impact, shock, or blast loading, an elastic wave or shock wave will form and propagate through the thickness of the foam materials. Here, silicone foam pads, which were confined laterally and pre-strained to different levels, were experimentally characterized and theoretically analyzed to understand their effects on wave propagation characteristics under impact loading. Depending on impact velocity, either an elastic strain wave or a shock wave would be generated in the silicone foam pad with different pre-strains. Above a certain impact velocity, a shock wave will be generated whereas, below this threshold impact velocity, an elastic strain wave will be generated. This threshold impact velocity depends on the pre-strain applied to the silicone foam pad. Equations are provided to estimate the wave propagation speed for either an elastic or a shock wave from the amount of pre-strain in the silicone foam pads and the impact velocity. These equations are expected to help improve silicone foam design and assembly processes for shock or blast mitigation applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Investigation of Polyurethane and Fire-Retardant Foams as a Radiological Contamination Fixatives - 20202

Fixation of radiological contamination in decommissioning and deactivation can reduce worker risk, and mitigate potentially hazardous conditions; however, nearly every marketed contamination fixative has been found to be flammable, a significant concern in radiological facilities. Coupled with this, industry fixatives are normally used as a thin coating which can present problems when attempting to stabilize irregular void spaces or areas that are difficult to access and ensure full coverage. To this end, Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), in conjunction with Florida International University (FIU), have begun investigating the applicability of polyurethane based foaming materials, which will expand to fill a given asymmetric volume and provide fire retardancy to ensure no release of contamination in the event of a facility fire. Commercial foams undergo exothermic reactions resulting in gaseous release that subsequently causes the curing foam material to expand. Heat generation during curing can potentially compromise rubber parts of an enclosure, a significant concern in nuclear facilities. To mitigate large body heat generation, SRNL has also examined multiple layering of the material to ensure compatibility of the curing material with a previously cured body of the same material. Environmental studies were also completed in order to determine the influence on polyurethane based foams curing process. These studies showed that nearly half of the materials tested delaminated from a cured body of the same material, a property not discussed in commercially available documentation on the products. Of note was the compatibility of the foaming material with the substrate, depending on the type material that the foam was cured in/on, significant delamination could occur. Mechanical testing via tensile pull tester, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was also performed. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2018

METAL FOAMS: NOVEL MATERIALS FOR AIR COOLING AND HEATING APPLICATION- PERFORMANCE UNDER DRY, WET AND FROSTING CONDITIONS

Metal foams have emerged as a potential material for advanced heat exchangers in air-cooling systems. The novel materials have a large surface-area-to-volume ratio and a tortuous structure which promotes flow mixing in heat exchanger applications. The current study provides an overview of the thermal-hydraulic performance of metal foam heat exchangers under dry, wet and frosting operations. The experiments have been conducted in a wind tunnels at a range of operating conditions varying air flow rate, inlet air temperature and relative humidity and the associated pressure drop and heat transfer rate have been measured. The impact of metal foam geometry has been evaluated and the findings have been summarized for heat transfer rate and pressure drop when the heat exchanger operates at various operating conditions.

Nawaz, Kashif↗
DOE OSTI2026

Develop Renewable/Sustainable Material to Displace Petroleum-Derived Polymer Foams (CRADA Final Report)

NLR and EDEN will partner together to develop renewable, biodegradable alternatives to polyfoam (polyurethane) polymer foams. The initial focus will be on developing cellulose-based foam with tunable mechanical properties. NLR will produce and test the cellulose-based foam materials and characterize its microstructure and mechanical properties. Relationships between mechanical performance formulation and fabrication methods will be developed.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Low density syntactic foams via material extrusion additive manufacturing

An ink formulation for additive manufacturing of low density syntactic foams is described. The ink formulation can include a thermoset resin, a curing agent suitable for use with the thermoset resin, a plurality of hollow spheres, such as glass microballoons, one or more solvents, and one or more non-hollow, viscosity modifying filler. Also described are a method of preparing the ink formulation, a method of preparing three-dimensional objects comprising low density syntactic foams, and the three-dimensional objects prepared thereby.

Compton, Brett Gibson↗
DOE OSTI2020

Foams in Hohlraums

Foam materials are starting to find application in laser-heated hohlraums used to drive inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions. The disparate scales of the solid foam elements (nm) compared to the typical problem scale (mm) make it expensive to resolve the individual foam elements in hydrodynamic calculations. In this project we developed two new models for treating foam materials – a 3D hydrodynamic model that treats the foam as bits of pre-expanded solid material separated by voids, and a subgrid model that captures the essential physics of laser-heated foams without requiring resolution of the individual solid elements. We also explored the microphysics of the transition from interpenetrating kinetic behavior to fully-collisional fluid-like behavior during the early time heating and expansion of foam elements through a combination of single-fluid and multi-fluid hydrodynamics calculations and particle-in-cell calculations. The model was benchmarked against these calculations and against experimental data on laser-heated chemical and additive-manufactured (AM) foams. Since there was no existing data on laser-heated AM foams, we performed the first experiments on such foams at the Jupiter Laser Facility. Samples of three different types of printed AM foams were heated using a single 0.5 micron laser. The foam densities ranged from 10 to 100 mg/cc (supercritical for 0.5 micron light). We measured the backscattered light (power and spectrum), the transmitted light, and the time-integrated temperature of the foam samples. This benchmarked subgrid foam model is a new capability that should allow routine calculation of ICF designs using foam elements, potentially opening up a new design space.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Circumferential flow foam heat exchanger

A heat exchanger is disclosed that includes a cold heat exchange zone including a foam material having an annular geometry and having fluid distribution and collection slots configured to distribute a cooling fluid circumferentially through the foam material.

Youchison, Dennis L.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Determining Outgassing of Foam Packaging Material

When transporting highly radioactive material, it is vital to provide a successful delivery. Without proper containment, radioactive materials can become exposed to the surrounding environment and pose a serious threat. To ensure a safe transition of radioactive material, packaging components must be able to withstand high levels of heat during the event of a fire while maintaining the integrity of the structure to safety contain the radioactive material. Various types of polyurethane and silicone have been selected to observe at high temperatures to analyze outgassing characteristics of the materials.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2020

Carbon Fiber and Syntactic Foam Hybrid Materials via Core–Shell Material Extrusion Additive Manufacturing

Abstract Biological materials often employ hybrid architectures, such as the core–shell (C–S) motif present in porcupine quills and plant stems, to achieve unique specific properties and performance. Drawing inspiration from these natural materials, a new method to fabricate lightweight and stiff C–S architected filaments is reported. Specifically, a C–S printhead conducive to printing highly loaded fiber‐filled inks, as well as a new low‐density syntactic foam ink, are utilized to 3D‐print C–S architectures consisting of a syntactic epoxy foam core surrounded by a stiff carbon fiber‐reinforced epoxy composite shell. Effective printing of test specimens and structures with controlled geometry, composition, and architecture is demonstrated. The new foam ink exhibits density as low as 0.68 g cm −3 and C–S structures exhibit up to 25% higher specific flexural stiffness ( E 1/3 /ρ) than either constituent alone. Finally, a new mechanical model is presented to predict this performance improvement while accounting for potential eccentricity of the core.

Pack, Robert C.↗