A Unified Phenomenological Model for Tensile and Compressive Response of Polymeric Foams

Tensile and compressive stress-strain responses were obtained for various densities of polymer foams. These experimental data were used to determine relevant engineering parameters (such as elastic moduli in tension and compression, ultimate tensile strength, etc.) as a function of foam density. A phenomenological model applicable for both compressive and tensile responses of polymeric foams is validated by comparing the model to the experimentally obtained compression and tensile responses. The model parameters were analyzed to determine the effect of each parameter on the mechanical response of the foam. The engineering parameters were later compared to the appropriate model parameters and a good correlation was obtained. It was shown that the model indeed captures the entire compressive and tensile response of polymeric foams effectively.