Boomoon, A sense of temporal delirium

Essay on Boomoon as part of the 50th issue of Foam Magazine, celebrating the beauty and vital role water plays in our lives. It brings into focus the value that is added to this liquid, either as a ritualistic cleanser or as a forceful means of feeding the political and commercial interests of our time. If we can speak of a point of orientation or inquiry in this fluidity of images, meanings and critical thoughts, it is our triple axis of water as carrier, barrier, and source

Carbon nanotubes prepared in situ in a cellular ceramic by the gelcasting-foam method

The synthesis of carbon nanotubes from an oxide solid solution foam is reported for the first time. A foam of Mg0.9Co0.1Al2O4 solid solution is prepared by the gelcasting-foam method using notably mono- and di-functional acrylate monomers. Using a surfactant in the alkylpolyglucoside family allows to prevent structure changes in the foam before the onset of polymerisation. The wet ceramic foam is dried in air, producing a foam with an open porosity. Total porosity is equal to about 98% and the diameter of the pores is in the range 25–300 mm, about 90% being smaller than 200 mm. The Mg0.9Co0.1Al2O4 foam is reduced in H2–CH4 atmosphere, giving rise to a CNTs–Co MgAl2O4 composite foam. Using the foam instead of the corresponding powder allows a fourfold increase in the production of carbon nanotubes, more than 95% of which have only 1 (70%) or 2 walls

Dynamic flow phenomena in a foam application unit

If, during the operation of a foam application unit, a change in the foam production is introduced, the change in the flow becomes noticeable at the point of application onlyafter a certain response delay time. During the operation of the unit it is necessary to take this response delay into consideration. By varying the flow of foam in the application unit, the mass content of foam in the unit is changed as a result of the changed pressure inside the unit. The response delay has been mathematically derived for the flow of agiven type of foam through pipes, as well as through a foam printing unit as a whole. A deviation in the yield of foam on the substrate can be avoided by considering the respons delay caused by a change in the foam production process

Egg white foam : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Food Technology at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand

Egg white is extensively utilized as a functional food material in food processing due to the multiple functional roles of egg white proteins such as foaming, gelling and emulsifying properties. The foaming property of egg white has been widely studied using different methods. In this research, two different foaming methods were used to prepare egg white foams by a whipping method using a standard mix beater and a sparging method using a whipped cream dispenser (pressurized dispenser). Egg white is also commercially available in several different physical forms, such as fresh egg white liquid, frozen fresh egg white liquid (EWL) and spray dried egg white powder (EWP). In this study, EWL and EWP solutions were used to compare their foaming ability and foam stability. Various factors affecting on the formation and stability of egg white foam were investigated to understand their impact on the functional properties of egg white as foaming agents under specific conditions, including whipping time and speed, shaking time, temperature, pH, type and ionic strength of salts, thermal treatment and addition of some ingredients (e.g. sugar and hydrocolloids). All foams produced were analysed on the basis of two different parameters of foam properties, such as foamability after preparation and foam stability with time after foam preparation. Foam stability was also analysed by two different aspects, foam volume stability against foam collapse and foam liquid stability against liquid drainage. Another objective of this study was to investigate the application of cooking egg white foam in a microwave oven after the foam preparation with an aim of developing a prototype of value added new products derived from egg white foam. The microbiological stability of egg white was also measured to determine the shelf stability of non-pasteurised and pasteurised egg white solutions with and without added ingredients against microbial growth. Overall the results obtained in this study provide significant insights into the impact of various factors affecting the formation and stability of egg white foam and the potential application of microwave cooking of egg white foam for applications in various food industries. Keywords: Egg white foam, foamability, foam stability, whipped cream dispenser, microwave oven, microbial stabilit

Quantification and Visualization of Fungal Degradation of Polyurethane Foam in Homes

People spend 90% of their time in the indoor environment including homes. Homes contain many exposures that can cause harm to human health, and one harmful exposure potentially comes from the degradation of polyurethanes. This deterioration of the polymer causes the release of a carcinogenic compound called 2,4-diaminotoluene (2,4-DAT). Polyurethane foam is a common household material and is used to make many items such as mattresses, couches, insulation, and carpet backing. It is uncertain if growth of fungi on this foam can cause biodegradation to occur, which could potentially result in the release of 2,4-DAT. The goal of this study is to better understand under what conditions one common fungal species, Aureobasidium pullulans, degrades polyurethane foam. We tested the effects of nutrient availability, foam age, and relative humidity levels on the ability of Aureobasidium pullulans to degrade polyurethane foam. The effects of nutrient availability on fungal degradation were evaluated by incubating polyurethane foam with different agars and comparing weight loss of foam samples as a result. The effects of foam age were tested by obtaining 2 foam types; one new and one already used in a home and incubating them to compare weight loss as a result. The effects of relative humidity (RH) on fungal degradation of foam were evaluated by incubating foam at varying equilibrium relative humidity (ERH) levels and performing quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to quantify fungal growth. Polyurethane foam incubated with Aureobasidium pullulans was observed under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) in order to visually observe the growth of fungi on polyurethane foam. The ideal conditions for fungal degradation were foam type 1 with an additional carbon source and high RH level. The peak weight loss of foam from fungal degradation was found to be 56% and fungal growth was highest at 100% ERH. Spore chains and fruiting bodies were observed via microscopy wrapped around the foam after incubation indicating Aureobasidium pullulans can grow and reproduce on polyurethane foam given appropriate conditions. This information can be used in the future to prevent fungal degradation of polyurethane foam and potentially decrease carcinogen exposure.OSU OUR&CI Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship ProgramOSU College of Engineering Research Distinction ScholarshipNo embargoAcademic Major: Environmental Engineerin

Identification and quantification of cell gas evolution in rigid polyurethane foams by novel GCMS methodology

Producción CientíficaThis paper presents a new methodology based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) in order to separate and quantify the gases presented inside the cells of rigid polyurethane (RPU) foams. To demonstrate this novel methodology, the gas composition along more than three years of aging is herein determined for two samples: a reference foam and foam with 1.5 wt% of talc. The GCMS method was applied, on one hand, for the accurate determination of C5H10 and CO2 cell gases used as blowing agents and, on the other hand, for N2 and O2 air gases that diffuse rapidly from the surrounding environment into foam cells. GCMS results showed that CO2 leaves foam after 2.5 month (from 21% to 0.03% for reference foam and from 17% to 0.03% for foam with 1.5% talc). C5H10 deviates during 3.5 months (from 28% up to 39% for reference foam and from 29% up to 36% for foam with talc), then it starts to leave the foam and after 3.5 year its content is 13% for reference and 10% for foam with talc. Air diffuses inside the cells faster for one year (from 51% up to 79% for reference and from 54% up to 81% for foam with talc) and then more slowly for 3.5 years (reaching 86% for reference and 90% for foam with talc). Thus, the fast and simple presented methodology provides valuable information to understand the long-term thermal conductivity of the RPU foams.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad - Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (grants MAT2015-69234-R and RTC-2016-5285-5)Junta de Castilla y Leon (grant VA275P18)Agencia austriaca para la promoción de la investigación (grant 850697

Foam used during EPB tunnelling in saturated sand, parameters determining foam consumption

The amount of foam injected during drilling with an EPB-shield in saturated sand is quite often based on experience and/or empiric relations. A method is presented in to calculate the amount of foam needed to create a muck with limited or no grain stress. The results show that, as expected, the volume of the foam to be injected is much larger in dry soil compared to saturated soil. In saturated soil the amount of foam to be injected depends on various parameters. The permeability of the soil in front of the EPB-shield appears very important. This paper describes the dependencies and shows that recommended foam injection ratio’s from literature may be too small when used in permeable sandy soil. The FIR of the foam in a mixture may be much smaller than of the original foam

Testing and simulation of extruded polystyrene foam at low to moderate strain rates

This paper presents a study into the behaviour of extruded polystyrene foam at low strain rates. The foam is being studied in order assess its potential for use as part of a new innovative design of portable road safety barrier the aim to consume less water and reduce rates of serious injury. The foam was tested at a range of low strain rates, with the stress and strain behaviour of the foam specimens being recorded. The energy absorption capabilities of the foam were assessed as well as the response of the foam to multiple loadings. The experimental data was then used to create a material model of the foam for use in the explicit finite element solver LS-DYNA. Simulations were carried out using the material model which showed excellent correlation between the numerical material model and the experimental data