Morphological, Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Rubber Foams: A Review Based on Recent Investigations

Abstract

During recent decades, rubber foams have found their way into several areas of the modern world because these materials have interesting properties such as high flexibility, elasticity, deformability (especially at low temperature), resistance to abrasion and energy absorption (damping properties). Therefore, they are widely used in automobiles, aeronautics, packaging, medicine, construction, etc. In general, the mechanical, physical and thermal properties are related to the foam’s structural features, including porosity, cell size, cell shape and cell density. To control these morphological properties, several parameters related to the formulation and processing conditions are important, including foaming agents, matrix, nanofillers, temperature and pressure. In this review, the morphological, physical and mechanical properties of rubber foams are discussed and compared based on recent studies to present a basic overview of these materials depending on their final application. Openings for future developments are also presented.

Recycled silica as a renewable and sustainable alternative to carbon black in natural rubber foams

“…5(d) presents the k factors for all the foams. The amount of thermal insulation in cellular materials mostly depends on the density (ER) and morphology (cellular structure) 48 . Since negligible differences in ER were observed (42% ± 1% in Table 3), the cell size and cell density become the most important parameters.…”

“…The amount of thermal insulation in cellular materials mostly depends on the density (ER) and morphology (cellular structure). 48 Since negligible differences in ER were observed (42% ± 1% in Table 3), the cell size and cell density become the most important parameters. As reported in the literature, lower cell size (higher cell density) usually leads to lower heat transfer.…”

Review Study on Mechanical Properties of Cellular Materials

“…Cellular solids have attracted significant attention and made substantial advancements across various disciplines because of the variety of their porous periodic or irregular microstructure and lightweight properties. These materials possess desirable attributes such as high strength-to-weight ratios [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ], high energy absorption capabilities [ 6 , 7 , 8 ], and thermal insulation properties [ 9 ], making them particularly valuable in civil and mechanical engineering. Their applications in this field range from structural components and insulation systems to lightweight filling materials [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ].…”

Molecular dynamics simulation and experimental verification of the effects of vinyl silicone oil viscosity on the mechanical properties of silicone rubber foam

“…Currently, the regulation of cellular structure, rheology, viscoelasticity, and aging of the SRF have been studied. 15–19 Few researchers have conducted in-depth the impact of vinyl silicone oil viscosity on the performance of the SRF via all-atom molecular dynamic simulation. 20,21 This article has investigated in detail the molecular motion trajectories, molecular interactions, and the crosslinking process of the SRF prepared from vinyl silicone oil with different viscosities through MD simulation.…”