THE MICROSTRUCTURE AND MECHANICAL RESPONSE OF POROUS POLYMERS

Porous polymers exhibit complex microstructures which affect their mec hanical and physical properties. Pores in the microstructure are the r esult of the addition of polymer microspheres, and potentially by gas entrained during mixing operations. A combination of direct observatio n and finite element modeling has shown that accounting for the stiffe ning effect of the microspheres is important, and that strain localiza tion occurs due to microstructural heterogeneity and interactions gene rated by the large gas pores. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All right s reserved.