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Cellular multistable architected material has been widely studied for its promising energy absorption applications for personnel protection, protective packaging, and crash mitigation. Despite the tailorable properties enabled by their geometric features, a major issue in the actual application is their lower strengths in the elastic behavior of the multistable architected material. Herein, a novel design strategy of strain rate-dependent architected cellular composite material (FACCM) is proposed, aiming to achieve enhanced energy-absorbing properties with the proposed composite system than the single material constituent. Guided by numerical simulations and experimental tests, the compressive behaviour of FACCM at multiple strain rates and the effect of filled foam on it with specific geometric parameters are characterized. The quasi-static performances of the FACCM specimens were evaluated both at the cell level and planar array level. Our results indicate that the strength, stiffness, and snap-through behaviour of multistable architected material can be significantly improved by the filled foam at elevated loading rates regardless of quasi-static loading or impact tests. The current study offers a new strategy for developing novel packing, shock absorption, and impact protection systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A DMA test on the PIR foam has shown very high thermal stability between 0 and 40 °C. • Shear creep behavior of PIR slightly varied in the temperature range of 20–30 °C. • A stress amplitude of 30% was enough to cause nonlinear creep in the PIR foam. • Shear creep analytical curves were successfully calibrated using Findley's power law. An experimental campaign was carried out to assess shear creep behaviour of a rigid low-density closed-cell polyisocyanurate (PIR) foam. Two service temperature values were considered, 20 °C and 30 °C, and the applied stresses ranged between 20% and 60% of the corresponding shear strength. The results showed that a stress amplitude of 30% was enough to cause nonlinear creep response. Furthermore, creep deformations were slightly smaller in the tests at 30 °C, a fact that matched the viscoelastic response of the PIR foam obtained from DMA testing. Finally, creep prediction curves were calibrated through an analytical approach based on the Findley's power law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, hygro-thermal and durability related properties of a cementitious mortar containing highly porous foamed aggregates obtained from polymeric end-of-waste materials were investigated. The evaluation of capillary water absorption, thermal conductivity, water vapour permeability and sulfate attack resistance of samples where natural quartz sand was replaced by 10%, 25% and 50% in volume with foamed aggregates was carried out. Experimental investigations showed that the presence of plastic aggregates decreased mortar density (up to 36%, compared to the reference sample, for the maximum investigated natural sand volume replacement) as well as thermal conductivity (10% for the 50% volume replacement). Moreover, water vapour transmission rate increased at increasing natural sand replacement while capillary water absorption decreased. Finally, after fifteen cycles of sulfate attack test, lightweight mortars evidenced a lower mass loss compared to the reference sample. The results were related to morphological modifications in the mortars bulk porosity, demonstrating by mercury intrusion porosimetry investigations, that polymeric foamed aggregates determine a variation of the pores microstructure, resulting in an increased pores dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A numerical inverse analysis procedure was developed in Matlab based on a FEM based functional. • Temperature-dependent thermophysical properties of polymeric foams were calibrated. • The calibrated properties can be used to model foam-core sandwich panels in fire. • The properties and procedure were validated by successfully modelling an independent case. Polymeric foams used as core materials of sandwich panels undergo severe degradation under high temperatures, making the experimental measurement of their thermophysical properties (thermal conductivity and specific heat) possible only up to 150 °C–200 °C. However, their knowledge at higher temperatures is needed to fully understand their behaviour and to develop advanced numerical models for analysis and design of sandwich structures subjected to fire. This work presents a numerical inverse analysis procedure to determine such effective properties for rigid polyurethane (PUR) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foams. Firstly, the campaign used to obtain experimental results is presented and then the proposed numerical inverse analysis procedure is described. This is based on the minimization of a least squares functional and a nonlinear finite element thermal analysis. Next, the numerical results and the effective thermophysical properties obtained for both foams are presented and discussed, and are validated by extending their use to the simulation of the thermal response of a sandwich panel subjected to a standard fire. It is concluded that the numerical procedure is capable of estimating the temperature-dependent effective thermal conductivity and specific heat of PUR and PET foams for temperatures well above those corresponding to their decomposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An inverse radiation analysis is performed for identification of spectral radiative properties for a class of highly porous closed cell polymeric foams using coupled Monte Carlo-Particle Swarm Optimization method. An Open Message Passing Interface (MPI) based parallel Monte Carlo method is adopted to simulate thermal radiation within the foam. The Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) with adaptive weighted delay velocity is employed to inversely identify the spectrally dependent transport extinction coefficient and scattering albedo of expanded polystyrene and polyethylene foams from measured spectral transmittance. The transmittance measurements were performed with a Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer across the IR wavelength range of 2.0–16.7 μm. The developed inverse model used transmittance measurements of two samples of the same foam having different thicknesses to successfully retrieve the unknown radiative parameters of the foams. Both of the foams demonstrated consistently high transport extinction coefficients at all wavelengths in a range of 6400–400 m−1. Spectral transport scattering albedos of both the foams were discovered to be in the range 0.70–1.0. The accuracy of the proposed inverse model is checked by numerically predicting the spectral transmittances for a third sample of different thickness using the retrieved radiative properties. A good agreement is observed between the experimental and the numerically predicted transmittance values for the third thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• PUR foams are non-linear-elastic quasi-brittle with positive post-peak behavior. • Structural foam systems of XPS, EPP, and PUR reveal high anisotropy. • XPS foams are evaluated indicating adverse orientation effects (anisotropy). • EPS and PUR foams indicate positive size effects. • The G F method seems suitable to characterize the damage effects of polymeric foams. In the construction industry, materials with density advantages are becoming increasingly prevalent due to the trend toward lightweight construction. These include, above all, synthetic foams based on polyurethane and polypropylene. While they are mainly used for thermal insulation during thermal refurbishment, they are also increasingly being used for structural tasks. On the part of manufacturers, these are still dominated by standardized mechanical test methods such as compression or flexure tests. However, the major drawback of these strength tests is the need for more information about the structural failure behavior of polymer foams in the fracture zone itself, the interface. Since fracture analytical approaches provide only limited vital figures, this work presents a holistic approach that encompasses all areas of evaluation. This influences sample size, orientation (isotropy), fracture zone effects (failure patterns), and structural safety. Common synthetic polymer foam systems (open-cell and closed-cell) are used to represent the broadest possible range of evaluation. The results show that it is not the materials with the highest tensile strength that are most convincing, but those with the most extraordinary fracture energy and damage tolerance. The practical information greatly expands the selection options for decision-makers since technical data sheets from manufacturers can only be used to a limited extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bike and ski helmets are mainly made up of two layers: the external shell and the foam liner. The foam liner, typically made of expanded polystyrene (EPS) or polypropylene (EPP), is asked to provide energy absorption in case of impacts. Standard helmet design requires the foam to maximize this energy absorption, thus achieving large deformations (up to 25% in compression) while maintaining the stress level below a threshold value. To optimize the helmet construction in terms of foam composition, structure and density, reliable numerical models are required, which in turn need to be fed with accurate experimental data. A characterisation of several foams was performed, including EPS and EPP having varying densities, under tensile and compressive stress states at varying strain rates. Typical mechanical parameters (elastic moduli and plateau stress in compression, Poisson's ratio) were compared with literature data and applicability of existing models to experimental results was discussed. A marked strain rate dependence – very important for impact applications – was accurately described using the Nagy phenomenological model. The foam microstructure was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to assess structural changes before and after compression. The aforementioned mechanical features were then adopted in a rate-dependent constitutive law for crushable foams, to model the shock attenuation properties of helmets and validate the approach against available data. Finally, a microelectromechanical system based in-helmet wireless micro monitoring system was developed and inserted in a helmet prototype. The system is capable of acquiring impact load spectra, providing valuable information to investigate generic impacts with varying angles and energy. In particular, it can monitor the effect of repeated micro-impacts on the residual energy absorption characteristics of the foam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Portable, water filled road safety barriers are used to provide protection and reduce the potential hazard due to errant vehicles in areas where the road conditions change frequently (e.g. near road work sites). As part of an effort to reduce excessive working widths typical of these systems, a study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of introducing polymeric foam filled panels into the design. Surrogate impact tests of a design typical of such as barrier system were conducted utilising a pneumatically powered horizontal impact testing machine up to impact energies of 7.40 kJ. Results of these tests are utilised to examine the barrier behaviour, in addition to being used to validate a couple FE/SPH model of the barrier system. Once validated, the FE/SPH model it utilised as the basis for a parametric study into the efficacy and effects of the inclusion of polymeric foam filled panels on the performance of portable water filled road safety barriers. It was found that extruded polystyrene foam functioned well, with a greater thickness of the foam panel significantly reducing the impacting body velocity as the barrier began to translate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite sandwich panels comprising fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) skins and lightweight material cores are being increasingly used in civil engineering. In several applications, such as façades, roof structures and bridge decks, these panels may experience a wide range of in-service temperatures. This paper presents experimental and analytical investigations about the effects of elevated temperature on the shear response of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyurethane (PUR) foams used in composite sandwich panels. The experimental programme included (i) DMA and DSC/TGA tests, aimed at assessing the glass transition and decomposition processes underwent by those foams; and (ii) Iosipescu tests for temperatures ranging from −20 °C to 120 °C, in order to characterise their shear response. The analytical study comprised the assessment of the accuracy of different empirical (relaxation) models in describing the shear modulus reduction with temperature of those polymeric foams. Results obtained show that with increasing temperature, the shear responses of PET and PUR foams become more markedly non-linear. In addition, the shear moduli of these foams suffer considerable reductions, particularly for the PET foam; although at ambient temperature (∼20 °C) the PET foam is 3 times stiffer than the PUR foam, at 80 °C their shear moduli become similar, being respectively 24% and 66% of those at ambient temperature. All relaxation models assessed in this study were able to simulate with good accuracy the variation of the shear modulus of both foams with temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • EPP foams take the structural lead among the set of test candidates. • Different crack-shielding effects of several polymeric foam systems are identified. • The G F principle characterizes the post-peak softening behavior of polymeric foams well. • Hybridization can enhance polymeric foam performance. Materials with density advantages are rapidly gaining ground due to the trend towards lightweight structures. These include light metals, polymeric composites, and various types of foam. A glance at the literature on polymeric foams reveals different approaches of structural safety characterization. These are still dominated by standardized mechanical testing methods, such as compression or bending test. However, from such setups no empirical statements can be made about how the post-peak softening behavior is influencing the structural safety. Thus, a holistic fracture analysis is applied to examine various polymeric foam systems from the automotive industry. Commonly used synthetic foams based on EPS, XPS, EPP, and PUR are compared and evaluated. The results provide empirical in-depth information for decision-makers enhancing their options for the selection process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of a new family of strain energy functions to modelling the finite deformation of isotropic compressible elastomers, including polymeric foams and (hydro)gels, is presented in this paper. The proposed family of models is developed from a parent incompressible strain energy function, customised to the compressible case via an additive split of deviatoric and volumetric contributions. With a minimum of four and maximum of five parameters, the developed models are shown to be compatible with the empirical deformation kinematics of slight compressibility (or almost incompressibility) and provide favourable fits to the extant deformation datasets by simultaneous fitting to uniaxial, biaxial and/or simple shear deformations. Some intricate behaviours such as the shear-softening of polystyrene foams and the ensuing instability under simple shearing, as well as the simple tension of alginate-based hydrogels under extremely high levels of stretch are also successfully modelled. Given the versatility of the proposed family of models in terms of their relatively low number of model parameters, their capability to predict a wide range of deformation behaviours for a wide range of elastomers (from foams to gels), and the robustness of the provided fits, the advantages of the considered models over the existing models of the same class in the literature is demonstrated. • A robust three to five -parameter strain energy function W for compressible isotropic rubber-like materials. • The model is applied to a variety of extant experimental datasets. • Polymeric foams and hydrogels are considered. • The favourable correlation between the data and model predictions is shown. • Improvements compared with existing models in the literature are demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Heat insulating properties of polymeric foams at ambient temperature were investigated using the model of coupled heat transfer by conduction and radiation through computer-reconstructed domains. The proposed model considers absorbing and emitting gas and solid phases and partial photon reflection on phase interfaces. The P 1-approximation is used for the description of radiation. For optically thin polymeric walls, the interface conditions are adjusted to account for specular reflection and wave interference effects. The developed model was validated using experimental data and compared with other approaches, including state-of-the-art homogeneous phase approach (HPA). Contrary to HPA, our approach doesn't treat polymeric foams as homogeneous materials with effective properties and provides temperature and radiation gradient fields, which respect foam morphology. The model predicts that the radiative heat flux can account for more than one third of the total heat flux in high porosity expanded polystyrene (EPS) or polyethylene (PE) foams and that the equivalent conductivity of polymeric foam can be significantly reduced by the careful balancing of porosity, cell size, wall thickness and strut content. The presented model doesn't use any empirical correlations and can be used for the optimization of heat transfer in any type of polymeric foam. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The thermo-mechanical and impact properties of materials used for hard-shell and soft-shell back protectors have been analysed in order to understand the mechanism of action of the foams used for protective equipment. Dynamical mechanical analysis has shown that materials used for soft-shell protectors present frequency-sensitive properties that permit to have a soft response when stressed at low speed and a hard response when subjected to a high-speed impact. Furthermore, by means of drop weight impact tests, the shock absorbing characteristics of the materials have been investigated at two temperatures pointing out the differences between soft and hard-shell protectors; in addition it has been demonstrated that the materials used for soft-shell protectors maintain their protective properties after multi-impacts on the same point. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The choice of the appropriate material for the construction of ski-boot liners is of fundamental importance in order to achieve ergonomic comfort and high thermal insulation. In this work the effect on thermal comfort of different materials used for commercial ski-boot liners has been analysed. The thermal insulation and the moisture management of liners made of different materials have been tested both in a climatic chamber and in outdoor conditions using wireless sensors combined with infrared thermography. The results obtained show substantial differences in terms of thermal comfort between the liners in the same environmental conditions, showing that closed cell ethylene vinyl acetate foams provide the best thermal comfort. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Cellular solids such as polymeric foams are finding increasing applications including its use as a core material for sandwich structures. In this study, a novel method is used to measure both the longitudinal and shear wave speeds of a material simultaneously while applying a compressive load in four different densities of polymeric foams made from the same base polymer, polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The study showed that there was a significant difference in evolution of the wave speeds and hence in the apparent modulus during deformation of the lower density foams in comparison to the higher density foams. The non-contact full-field method of digital image correlation (DIC) is used to gain insights into the failure modes during deformation. The lower density foams undergo heterogeneous deformation and failed due to buckling of cell walls. In contrast, the higher density foams undergo nominally homogeneous deformation due to plastic collapse. The failure mode transition is shown to be governed by the relative density of the foams and the mechanical properties of the polymer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Self-consistent field theory is used to make direct predictions for the maximum possible cell densities for model polymer foam systems without recourse to classical nucleation theory or activation barrier kinetic arguments. Maximum possible cell density predictions are also made subject to constraining the systems to have maximal possible internal interface and to have well formed bubbles (no deviation from bulk conditions on the interior of the bubble). This last condition is found to be the most restrictive on possible cell densities. Comparison is made with classical nucleation theory and it is found that the surface tension is not an important independent consideration for predicting conditions consistent with high cell density polymeric foams or achieving the smallest possible bubble sizes. Instead, the volume free energy density, often labelled as a pressure difference, is the dominant factor for both cell densities and cell sizes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The conductive polymer polyaniline is blended with conventional industrial thermoplastics in order to obtain an electrically conductive polymer blend with adequate mechanical properties. Processing these polyblends into foams yields a porous conductive material that exhibits immense application potential such as dynamic separation media and low-density electrostatic discharge protection. In the current study, the morphology of a thermally processable blend consisting of an electrically conductive polyaniline-dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid complex and poly(methyl methacrylate) is explored using a two-phase batch foaming setup. The effect of blend composition and processing parameters on the resulting porous morphology is investigated. The impact of the underlying microstructure and blend composition on the frequency dependent electrical conductivity is elucidated using multiple linear regression and a model is proposed. Finally, dielectric analysis is utilized to experimentally identify the critical dispersion frequency of an unfoamed blend composition near the percolation threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A method to model high strain rate compressive properties of PU foams was investigated. The nonlinear mechanical response of the foam was split into three independent contributions: foam morphology, time-dependent polymer response, gas entrapped in the cells. The foam morphology contribution was estimated by a simple uniaxial compression test at very low strain rate. The time (temperature)-dependent behavior of the polymeric foam was evaluated by stress relaxation tests. Due to the low degree of cell interconnections of the studied foam, at low strain rates the gas contribution was predicted by using a gas flow model derived from Darcy''s law. Starting from 2s−1 compressive strain rate, the foam exhibited a transition and the gas contribution was evaluated by a scaled closed cell model. The proposed method is able to predict the mechanical response of foams at high strain rates using data obtained by few low strain rates mechanical tests. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Porous polymeric materials have a good impact strength, light weight and high porosity. Therefore, these foams are used in a wide range of applications, including insulation, separation processes and packaging. Since it is important to have an objective comparison of polymeric foams, this paper discusses a quantitative method using Voronoi diagrams, which has been developed to analyze and compare different morphologies of polymers foamed with supercritical carbon dioxide, based on the average cell area, cell area distribution and homogeneity. In contrast to SEM analysis only, different foam morphologies can be compared with this technique in an objective manner. The analysis is based on the centers of the cells and is therefore to a large extent independent of the sample preparation. Using the Voronoi-approach, it is possible to extrapolate the 2D view of the SEM picture to a 3D representation of the foam with the thickness of one cell layer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In addition to lightweight and moldable characteristics, polymeric foams possess an excellent energy-absorbing capability that can be used for a wide range of commercial applications, especially for crash protection in automobiles. The purpose of the present study is to develop an experimental methodology to characterize the pressure dependent yield behavior of energy-absorbing polymeric foams. A device was designed to perform a compression test in a triaxial stress state. For the test material, polyurethane foams of two different densities were used. The displacement of the specimen, the load applied to the specimen, and hydrostatic pressure applied to the specimen were measured and controlled. Stress–strain curves and yield stresses for different hydrostatic pressures were obtained. The experiments conducted in this study revealed that the polyurethane foams exhibited significant increase in yield stress with applied hydrostatic pressure or mean normal stress. Based on this observation, a yield criterion which included the effect of the stress invariant was established for the foams. The experimental constants obtained which constituted the pressure-dependent yield criterion were verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work is a thorough study on the elastic instabilities of flexible polymeric foams under compression. Tessellation-based topologies are employed to generate micromechanical models of open-cell random foams with controlled morphologies. Solid distribution on the resulting topologies is assigned based on a closed-form expression for the relative density that accounts for material overlap at the nodes. Simulations of foams with different microstructures are used to first reproduce experimentally obtained results, and subsequently to elucidate the connection between microstructure and the corresponding buckling mode. Compression of an anisotropic foam along the rise and transverse directions displays two distinct buckling modes that have previously been reported experimentally: a long-wavelength instability corresponding to a limit-load type response, and a microscopic instability that produces a monotonically increasing nonlinear response. The presence of large cell size distributions, i.e. polydispersity, is shown to also lead to a monotonic response, which is associated with the increased compaction of the largest cells that are present within the domain. The agreement between experimental and numerical responses is very favorable. The critical stresses are subsequently calculated as a function of key microstructural characteristics including foam density, anisotropy, cell-size distributions and ligament uniformity. The results indicate that a strong amount of anisotropy is needed for the transition from a microscopic instability to the macroscopic one while polydisperse foams produce a stable monotonic response, even in the presence of cell anisotropy. • Micromechanical models can capture the onset of instability for a range of foam microstructures. • Comparison with experimental data shows excellent agreement for isotropic, anisotropic, and polydisperse foams. • Microscopic instabilities produce a monotonically increasing response while the deformation is uniform. • Global buckling modes lead to a limit-stress in the response caused by localization in the form of fully collapsed cells. • Wide distributions of cell sizes are shown to produce a stable response, independent of anisotropy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a fundamental and experimental investigation of cell nucleation and growth mechanisms in Micro-/Nano-Layered (MNL) polymeric structures with alternating film and foam layers. It was found that the cell morphology in MNL structures is governed by the synergy of two categories of parameter: morphological parameters, i.e., layer thicknesses and the number of layer interfaces, and material parameters, i.e., material stiffness and compatibility. The presence of adjacent film layers can significantly increase cell density through two mechanisms: promoting heterogeneous cell nucleation and preventing cell deterioration. The influence of film layers varied in different layer thickness regions and interface densities, where stiffer and more compatible film layers produced higher cell densities by further enhancing these two mechanisms. Moreover, as a stiffness-enhancing strategy, the crystallization of the Polycarbonate was successfully achieved in MNL structures in a high-pressure CO 2 environment for the first time, resulting in more pronounced optimization of cell morphology. [Display omitted] • Fundamental cell nucleation and growth mechanisms in micro-/nano-layered (MNL) film/foam structures were investigated. • Mechanisms and strategies to optimize the cell morphologies in MNL structures were proposed. • For the first time, the crystallization of PC was introduced in MNL structures, resulting in improved cell morphologies. • MNL structures with a minimal cell size of 2.1 μm and a maximum cell density of 1.74 × 1010 cells/cm3 were produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The elevated strain rate compressive response of closed-cell polyvinyl chloride (PVC) foam at various densities is investigated. Two loading directions, (i.e., parallel and perpendicular to foam rise direction) were considered to investigate structural anisotropy. The elevated strain rates tests (up to 200 s−1) were performed using a customized drop tower device. Engineering stress/strain behavior, energy dissipation, and maximum stress capacity were obtained for each density and compared against each other. Except for the lowest density of 45 kg/m3, strain rate effects were clearly observed through increased compressive strength and plateau stress when loading in the foam rise direction. The strain rate effect is more evident at higher densities. However, no significant strain rate effect was observed when loading perpendicular to the foam rise direction. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed that plastic hinges are the primary deformation mechanism for PVC foam cells. An analytical model has been calibrated using the experimental results and successfully predicted the mechanical response of the foam. Shape anisotropy has been measured employing the SEM images. The analytical approach was also able to predict the foam's anisotropic mechanical response. Image 1 • Intermediate strain rate (up to 200 s−1) compression tests on PVC foams. • Strain rate effects observed when loading in the foam rise direction. • No significant rate effects observed when loading perpendicular to rise direction. • SEM analysis illustrated plastic hinges are main deformation mechanism. • Anisotropic behavior accurately predicted using an analytical approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, high strength, flexible and cycling-stable piezoresistive thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) composite foams were fabricated by a solution-blending method and supercritical carbon dioxide (ScCO 2) foaming process. The microcellular structure (1–10 μm) of the TPU/MWCNTs composites enhanced the energy storage and reduced the conductive percolation threshold. The compressive strength and compressive modulus of the composites were 1.05 MPa and 3.79 MPa. Percolation threshold of the foamed composites decreased from 0.90 vol% to 0.31 vol%. The prepared TPUC5.0 foam (the content of MWCNTs is 5%) had high sensitivity, wide strain range, and stable resistance. The piezoresistive current was relatively stable, and showed high repetitive force-electric conversion behavior in 1000 cycles. Thus, polymeric foams are suitable for real-time monitoring of human foot movement using wearable strain sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The material behavior and damage of polymeric foams (e.g., polyurethane foam and polystyrene foam) are extremely complex under compression, depending on strain rates and temperatures. In the present study, the elasto-viscoplastic-damage behavior of polymeric foams over a wide range of strain rates and temperature is evaluated and predicted using the modified Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman-Lemaitre (GTNL) model and the modified Khan-Huang-Liang (KHL) model. A modified GTNL model is introduced to describe phenomena of decreasing void volume fraction and elastic modulus for polymeric foams under uniaxial compression. The modified KHL model is proposed to evaluate the nonlinear strain rate- and temperature-dependent material behavior of polymeric foams. The full derivation of the implicit integration algorithm of the proposed modified GTNL-KHL model is introduced, and a user-defined material (UMAT) subroutine for commercial finite element analysis code (i.e., ABAQUS) is established. Using the UMAT, the damage characteristics (e.g., void volume fraction and elastic modulus changes) and the nonlinear material behavior (e.g., linear elastic, softening/plateau and densification) of polymeric foams under uniaxial compression with various strain rates and temperatures are successfully simulated. • Unified elasto-viscoplastic-damage model for polymeric foams was developed. • Stress-strain curve, void volume fraction change and damage growth were evaluated. • Full derivation for implicit integration algorithm of present model was introduced. • ABAQUS user-defined subroutine (UMAT) for polymeric foams were developed. • Proposed method was validated by comparing a series of experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]