The influence of the stress relaxation and creep recovery times on the Viscoelastic properties of open cell foams

The aim of this work is to study the mechanical behavior of flexible polyurethane foams used in cushioning applications. In particular, the differences between slow recovery (SR) and fast recovery (FR) foams are highlighted. To characterize the flexible polyurethane foams, creep and hysteresis tests were performed at different strain rate, stress levels, and temperatures. Significant differences were observed between the SR and FR foams, particularly in terms of residual deformation after unloading, hysteresis area, and creep behavior at different stress levels. Creep compliance at different stress levels was compared with a Voigt-Kelvin model. Stress-strain loading curves were compared with a phenomenological model originally modified to account for the strain rate dependence. In both cases, it is possible to show that the main differences observed in the behavior of the foams are due to the different relaxation and recovery times of the foams. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 49:1142-1150, 2009. [C] 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers
INTRODUCTION Polymeric foams are low-density solids widely used in many fields of application, such as for energy absorption, cushioning systems, and sandwich core material, because of their high specific mechanical, [...]