A microcellular foaming simulation system with a high pressure-drop rate

In this paper, we undertook an experimental and theoretical analysis of the pressure-drop behaviors of a batch foaming system with a visualization window that was designed for microcellular foaming simulation. A polystyrene (PS)-CO2 system was used in the experiment and analysis. The maximum pressure-drop rate achievable was 2.5 GPa/s from the designed system. Some experimental simulation results at high pressure-drop rates and at low pressure-drop rates are also discussed. We observed that the application of a higher pressure-drop rate results in a higher cell density (and, thereby, a smaller cell size) for plastic foams. This confirms that the pressure-drop rate is one of the most important parameters to control the cell density of plastic foams. In addition, the results show that the content of the blowing agent (CO2) dissolved into a given polymer has a significant effect on bubble nucleation and growth.