Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol.80, No.6, 1214-1219, 2002
Solid state rheological properties of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene foams
The rheological properties of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) foams were studied using solid state rheometry. Frequency and temperature sweeps were performed in the linear viscoelastic regime. For comparison purposes, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) foams were also studied. For the range of densities under consideration (200-700 kg/m(3)), several models for prediction of elastic moduli were compared. It was found that none of the models succeeded in representing completely the mechanical behavior of foams. Further refinements must be made in order to take into account parameters relating the morphology of the foam to its mechanical properties.