Modeling diffusion-induced bubble growth in polymer liquids

Accurate modeling of diffusion-induced bubble growth is essential for the development of efficient polymer foaming processes. Consequently, a large number of transport models of this complex phenomena have been formulated. In most previous studies, one or more simplifying approximations have been invoked to reduce mathematical complexity. In this paper, we present and compare several models of bubble growth in liquids and examine the effects blowing agent concentration, liquid viscosity and elasticity on bubble growth dynamics. In addition, we compare predicted and measured bubble growth behavior in two polymer foaming systems.