Polymeric Foams Structure-Property-Performance: A Design Guide

Polymeric Foams Structure-Property-Performance: A Design Guide is a response to the design challenges faced by engineers in a growing market with evolving standards, new regulations, and an ever-increasing variety of application types for polymeric foam. Bernard Obi, an author with wide experience in testing, characterizing, and applying polymer foams, approaches this emerging complexity with a practical design methodology that focuses on understanding the relationship between structure-properties of polymeric foams and their performance attributes. The book not only introduces the fundamentals of polymer and foam science and engineering, but also goes more in-depth, covering foam processing, properties, and uses for a variety of applications.

By connecting the diverse technologies of polymer science to those from foam science, and by linking both micro- and macrostructure-property relationships to key performance attributes, the book gives engineers the information required to solve pressing design problems involving the use of polymeric foams and to optimize foam performance. With a focus on applications in the automotive and transportation industries, as well as uses of foams in structural composites for lightweight applications, the author provides numerous case studies and design examples of real-life industrial problems from various industries and their solutions.

Provides the science and engineering fundamentals relevant for solving polymer foam application problems Offers an exceptionally practical methodology to tackle the increasing complexity of real-world design challenges faced by engineers working with foams Discusses numerous case studies and design examples, with a focus on automotive and transportation Utilizes a practical design methodology focused on understanding the relationship between structure-properties of polymeric foams and their performance attributes

Part I: Introduction 1. Overview of Applications of Polymeric Foams

Part II: Polymer Science and Engineering 2. Polymer Chemistry and Synthesis 3. Characterization of Polymeric Solids 4. Structure-Property Relationships of Polymeric Solids

Part III: Science and Engineering of Polymeric Foams 5. Fundamentals of Polymeric Foams and Classification of Foam Types 6. Foaming Processes 7. Structure-Property Relationships of Polymeric Foams

Part IV: Design and Uses of Polymeric Foams 8. Fundamentals of Structure-Property Relationships of Polyurethane Foams 9. Structural Foams 10. Flexible Foams 11. Biomedical Applications of Polymeric Foams 12. Applications of Polymeric Foams in Automobiles and Transportation 13. Other Specialized and Emerging Applications 14. Correlating Structure-Properties to Performance Attributes 15. Composites and Sandwich Structures