Conference Dates

June 22-27, 2014

Abstract

An adaptable geometric pore-scale model is proposed for predicting the specific surface area of actual foams. The proposed model, based on rectangular geometry, is compared to a cubic unit cell model from the literature based on cylindrical struts, a tetrakaidecahedron model as well as a dodecahedron model (both based on either cylindrical of triangular struts). The predicted specific surface areas of the proposed model are of the same order of magnitude as the other model predictions from the literature. The relative percentage errors in the predicted values are at most equal to the relative percentage errors associated with the measured diameter values. This is satisfactory, given the uncertainty in measuring the average pore-scale linear dimensions and also taking into consideration that the possibility of hollow struts, pore blockage and surface roughness are not accounted for in the model. The advantage of the proposed model is that only the solid width or the channel width needs to be known a priori to predict the specific surface area, and that it is physically adaptable.

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