MORPHOLOGY OF OPEN-CELL FOAMS: A CRITICAL REVIEW AND GEOMETRIC MODELING

Transport phenomena through open-cell foams are strongly affected by their complex microstructure. Morphological parameters, such as the diameter of pores and cells, the strut thickness, and the specific surface area, play key roles. Due to the intricate nature of an open-cell foam, its morphological models are very useful in engineering applications. We first review correlations in the literature of the morphological parameters that affect transport phenomena in foams. Then, with reference to the Kelvin's foam model, we present a unique model for the characterization of morphological parameters of open-cell foams, accounting for different strut shapes. New correlations among morphological parameters are proposed. There is good agreement between the correlations obtained with the proposed model and the experimental results from the literature. The model, accounting for any shape of the struts cross section, predicts values of foam morphological parameters generally closer to those predicted by available models not valid for all strut shapes.