Investigation of damage development of polymer foams using interrupted in-situ X-ray tomography

Thermoplastic foam materials were investigated by interrupted in-situ X-ray computed tomography. Scan setup and image processing procedure were optimized for optimal quantification results. High resolution laboratory CT was applied at varying compressive load. Qualitative image analysis showed the beginning of cell collapse in the core of the sheets. The reason could be found in the variation of cell size over sheet thickness. Smaller cells that form thinner struts were located predominantly in the core. The expected trend of reduced cell size and reduced sphericity at increased load was observed