Indentation into polymeric foams

The effects of the nose shape of rigid indenters on the indentation behaviour of polymethacrylimide (PMI) and polyetherimide (PEI) foams with different densities are investigated. Experimental results show that indentation resistance depends on the geometry of the indenter and the density of the foam. Analytical models based on the deformation mechanisms observed in experiments are developed to predict the indentation resistance. It shows that the analytical predictions are in good agreement with experimental measurements for a range of polymeric foams. This study presents a complete and systematic experimental data on the indentation behaviours of a range of polymeric foams and demonstrates the capability of the analytical model to predict the indentation behaviours of PMI and PEI foams. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.