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Assessment of Multiaxial Mechanical Response of Rigid Polyurethane Foams

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Abstract

Multiaxial deformation behavior and failure surface of rigid polyurethane foams were determined using standard experimental facilities. Two commercial foams of different densities were assayed under uniaxial, biaxial, and triaxial stress states. These different stress states were reached in a uniaxial universal testing machine using suitable testing configurations which imply the use of special grips and lateral restricted samples. Actual strains were monitored with a video extensometer. Polyurethane foams exhibited typical isotropic brittle behavior, except under compressive loads where the response turned out to be ductile. A general failure surface in the stress space which accounts for density effects could be successfully generated. All of failure data, determined at the loss of linear elasticity point, collapsed in a single locus defined as the combination of a brittle crushing of closed-cell cellular materials criterion capped by an elastic buckling criterion.

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Acknowledgments

Authors would like to thank CONICET and ANPCyT from Argentina for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Polymer Science and Engineering Group, INTEMA (University of Mar del Plata and National Research Council), Av. Juan B. Justo 4302, B7608FDQ, Mar del Plata, Argentina

    Valeria Pettarin, Laura A. Fasce & Patricia M. Frontini

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  1. Valeria Pettarin
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  2. Laura A. Fasce
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  3. Patricia M. Frontini
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Correspondence to Valeria Pettarin.

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Pettarin, V., Fasce, L.A. & Frontini, P.M. Assessment of Multiaxial Mechanical Response of Rigid Polyurethane Foams. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 23, 477–485 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-013-0542-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-013-0542-y

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