Study on the foaming ability of polysulfone polymers

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At present, most commercially available lightweight foams are made of commodity plastics, such as polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene, which possess moderate mechanical strengths and relatively low service temperatures. Hence, the foaming of polymers exhibiting high-service temperatures and high-performance is of great interest to a broad variety of industries (for example, the aviation, automotive and construction) as viable light-weight alternatives to the conventional structural materials. Sulfone polymers such as Polysulfone (PSU), Polyethersulfone (PES), and Polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) are excellent candidates for such demanding applications. They are emerging high performance thermoplastic polymers that are transparent (non-crystalline) and highly heat-resistant. Mechanically, they have high compaction resistance, thus suitable for high-pressure applications. Most importantly, these materials possess long service lives and high service temperatures - they will not undergo a significant dimensional change or physical deterioration even at temperatures as high as 150°C. They are highly resistant to mineral acids, alkali, and electrolytes, allowing them to be used in the environment of pH ranging from 2 to 13. In addition, they are inert to oxidizing agents. However, despite their huge potentials, little research has been conducted on foaming of these sulfone polymers, primarily due to the limited knowledge of the processing characteristics of the materials.Our industry partner is interested in foaming of these materials and exploring the potential of their usage. Specifically, they aim to develop fundamental knowledge and technologies for manufacturing sulfone polymeric foams suited for aerospace applications. To address this, our research team will collaborate the supporting industrial partner to investigate foaming of sulfone polymers (i.e., PSU, PES, and PPSU). Through fundamental and experimental studies, the project will generate sulfone foams of various cellular morphologies (microcellular and nanocellular) and evaluate corresponding material properties. Our industry partner will utilize the database created as the first step for the development of high performance engineered plastic foams.