A novel digital lifecycle for Material‐Process‐Microstructure‐Performance relationships of thermoplastic olefins foams manufactured via supercritical fluid assisted foam injection molding.

Pradeep, Sai Aditya; Deshpande, Amit M.; Lavertu, Pierre‐Yves; Zheng, Ting; Yerra, Veera Aditya; Shimabukuro, Yiro; Li, Gang; Pilla, Srikanth

This research significantly enhances the applicability of thermoplastic olefins (TPOs) in the automotive industry using supercritical N2 as a physical foaming agent, effectively addressing the limitations of traditional chemical agents. It merges experimental results with simulations to establish detailed material‐process‐microstructure‐performance (MP2) relationships, targeting 5–20% weight reductions. This innovative approach labeled digital lifecycle (DLC) helps accurately predict tensile, flexural, and impact properties based on the foam microstructure, along with experimentally demonstrating improved paintability. The study combines process simulations with finite element models to develop a comprehensive digital model for accurately predicting mechanical properties. Our findings demonstrate a strong correlation between simulated and experimental data, with about a 5% error across various weight reduction targets, marking significant improvements over existing analytical models. This research highlights the efficacy of physical foaming agents in TPO enhancement and emphasizes the importance of integrating experimental and simulation methods to capture the underlying foaming mechanism to establish material‐process‐microstructure‐performance (MP2) relationships. Highlights: Establishes a material‐process‐microstructure‐performance (MP2) for TPO foamsSustainably produces TPO foams using supercritical (ScF) N2 with 20% lightweightingShows enhanced paintability for TPO foam improved surface aestheticsDigital lifecycle (DLC) that predicts both foam microstructure and propertiesDLC maps process effects & microstructure onto FEA mesh for precise prediction

SUPERCRITICAL fluids; SURFACE active agents; FOAM; ALKENES; FINITE element method

Polymer Engineering & Science, 2024, Vol 64, Issue 6, p2420

0032-3888

Academic Journal

10.1002/pen.26700