Experimental investigations on phenomenological constitutive model of closed-cell PVC foam considering the effects of density, strain rate and anisotropy

The uniaxial compressive mechanical properties of PVC foams considering the effects of density (rho = 60 200 kg/m3), strain rate (epsilon = 0.001- 721/s) and anisotropy (R = 1- 1.57) have been investigated by quasistatic and dynamic (Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar, SHPB) experiments. In order to verify the effectiveness of the experiments, a control group was set to eliminate the size effect, and to achieve the repeatability of the experiments. Besides, the stress equilibrium of the specimen in the SHPB experiment was examined by the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) pressure sensors. The macroscopic deformation of the specimen during the whole loading process was recorded by the high-speed photography system. The microstructural failure morphology and mechanism were analyzed by combining the single loading control technique (SLCT) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). On this basis, an equation was proposed to predict the collapse stress of PVC foams considering the effects of density, strain rate and anisotropy. Moreover, a rigid-plastic hardening constitutive model (RP-H model) involving above three factors was summarized to characterize the uniaxial compressive mechanical properties of PVC foams.

Automated summary

The uniaxial compressive mechanical properties of PVC foams considering the effects of density, strain rate, and anisotropy were investigated using quasistatic and dynamic experiments. The experiments were verified through a control group and the stress equilibrium of the specimen was examined using PVDF pressure sensors. The deformation and failure mechanism were analyzed using high-speed photography and SEM. An equation was proposed to predict the collapse stress of PVC foams, and a rigid-plastic hardening constitutive model was summarized to characterize their compressive mechanical properties.