Foam Samples Research Articles

Monitoring the continuous manufacture of a polymeric foam via a thermokinetic-informed acoustic technique

Polymer foams are difficult to characterise due to rapidly evolving physical features from liquid to porous solid. Swift changes in volume, porosity and moduli render many techniques challenging for the characterisation of the foam curing during a manufacturing process. A technique that employs the longitudinal speed of sound of an ultrasonic signal, informed by a thermokinetic model, is proposed as an in situ, in-line, non-destructive and continuous monitoring tool during the production of rigid polyurethane foams. This study demonstrates that speed of sound measurements are suitable for (a) continuous characterisation of different foaming stages in the polymer reaction and curing; (b) determining the degree of cure for the continuous monitoring of foams, and (c) predicting mechanical properties (i.e., stiffness and Poisson's ratio) of cured foam samples. The validity of this monitoring technique is confirmed by comparison with well-established methods that use physical characteristics (e.g., expansion rate, electrical properties), thermo-kinetic models and mechanical testing. This method positions itself as a monitoring tool and convenient method for determining material stiffness during production.

Investigation of the Relationship between Morphology and Thermal Conductivity of Powder Metallurgically Prepared Aluminium Foams.

Among different promising solutions, coupling closed-cell aluminium foam composite panels prepared by a powder metallurgical method with pore walls interconnected by microcracks, with low thermal conductivity phase change materials (PCMs), is one of the effective ways of increasing thermal conductivity for better performance of thermal storage systems in buildings. The internal structure of the foam formation, related to the porosity which decides the heat transfer rate, plays a significant role in the thermal energy storage performance. The dependence of the heat transfer characteristics on the internal foam structure is studied numerically in this work. The foamable precursor of 99.7% pure aluminium powder mixed with 0.15 wt.% of foaming agent, TiH2 powder, was prepared by compacting, and extruded to a volume of 20 × 40 × 5 mm. Two aluminium foam samples of 40 × 40 × 5 mm were examined with apparent densities of 0.7415 g/cm3 and 1.62375 g/cm3. The internal porous structure of the aluminium foam samples was modelled using X-ray tomography slices through image processing techniques for finite element analysis. The obtained numerical results for the heat transfer rate and effective thermal conductivity of the developed surrogate models revealed the influence of porosity, struts, and the presence of pore walls in determining the heat flow in the internal structure of the foam. Additionally, it was found that the pore size and its distribution determine the uniform heat flow rate in the entire foamed structure. The numerical data were then validated against the analytical predictions of thermal conductivity based on various correlations. It has been found that the simplified models of Bruggemann and Russell and the parallel–series model can predict the excellent effective thermal conductivity results of the foam throughout the porosity range. The optimal internal foam structure was studied to explore the possibilities of using aluminium foam for PCM-based thermal storage applications.

Preparation and characterization of cordierite-based ceramic foams with permeable property from asbestos tailings and coal fly ash

The cordierite-based ceramic foams were successfully prepared by using asbestos tailings and coal fly ash (CFA) as main raw materials, without adding additional fluxing agent, and via the foaming agent method at a lower temperature. The influence of alumina content on the phase composition and structure of ceramic foams samples were investigated. At the same time, the influence of sintering temperature on phase evolution, physical and mechanical properties, microscopic morphology and water permeability were also studied. The results showed that the cordierite synthesized by the addition of 17.5% alumina had the better crystallinity. The addition of yellow sand could not only make up for the shortage of silicon sources in the raw materials, but also reduce the synthesis temperature of cordierite because it contained a certain amount of K+, Na+, Ca2+ and other fluxing components. Moreover, the bulk density, open porosity, water absorption, compressive strength and permeability coefficient of the cordierite-based ceramic foams prepared by the optimal formula S4 sintered at 1250 ℃ for 30 min were 0.77 g/cm3, 49.26%, 64.46%, 2.17 MPa and 0.71 mm/s, respectively. The product is expected to be used in the treatment of high-temperature exhaust gas and special waste water.

Coordination of Lead (II) and Cadmium (II) Ions to Nylon 6/Flax Linum Composite as a Route of Removal of Heavy Metals

Nylon 6 (PA6) reinforced Flax Linum composites were synthesized by melt mix extrusion and molded through Mucell® injection technique for adsorption application for removal of Cd(II) and Pb(II) metal ions. The structural morphologies of all samples were evaluated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmittance emission microscopy (TEM) and Scanning emission microscopy (SEM), indicating crystallized materials with pore-like cells and Thermographic analysis (TGA) illustrated the thermally stable., Microscopic PA6 revealed the effects of Flax content on both cell density and cell size of the foamed samples. The cell size of neat PA6 (48 μm) changed to 36, 17, and 15 μm after incorporation of Flax compositions for 1.0, 3.0 and 5.0 wt%. The removal of Cd(II)and Pb(II) with PA6/Flax 1.0 wt% composite was found to follow the Langmuir isotherm model. The results indicated that PA6 1.0 wt% composite can be efficiently used as a superabsorbent for the removal of Cd(II) and Pb(II) from aqueous solution.

Rare earth elements characterization associated to the phosphate fertilizer plants of Gabes (Tunisia, Central Mediterranean Sea): Geochemical properties and behavior, related economic losses, and potential hazards

This is the first study on the behavior and industrial fluxes of rare earth elements (REE) in the coastal fertilizer plants of Gabes (south-eastern Tunisia), the economic losses related to their wastes, and their environmental and human health hazards. The concentrations of 16 REE were assessed in phosphate rock (PR), phosphogypsum (PG) and phosphogypsum foam (PGF) samples, collected from Gabes plants. REE concentrations ranged from 0.23 (for Sc in PG) to 309.33 mg kg−1 (for Ce in PGF). Ce was the most abundant in the three matrices, with concentrations ranging between 80.40 (in PG) and 309.33 mg kg−1 (in PGF). PGF was the most enriched with REE (1075.32 mg kg−1). The annual flow of REE from the fertilizer factories to the marine environment may reach 1523.67 t. The economic losses related to the discharge of phosphogypsum REE in the Gulf of Gabes (GG) was estimated at ~58 million US$ y−1. The potential hazards of discharged REE on the local environment and human health were also evaluated and discussed. These findings show the need for the development of a new industry exploiting REE from phosphogypsum wastes (short term) and phosphate ores (long term) which should lead to reduce its high environmental and human health footprint and to potential economic gains.

Synthesis of Nanostructured Metallic Foams By Plasma Electrolysis Deposition

Within the framework of fundamental physics studies at CEA, laser target experiments are conducted to investigate laser-matter interactions. Some of these experiments require metallic foams samples in a milimetric scale with an apparent volumetric mass within few hundreds milligrams per cube centimeters. Metallic foams materials are developed and studied since few years for their unique properties offered by their aerated structure. For example, due to a high specific surface, metallic foams could find applications in batteries, supercapacitors, as well as chemical sensors. However, all the metallic foams obtained by the processes referenced in the literature do not meet the specifications needed for laser experiments. This is why, the CEA has developed a new and innovative technique to synthetize metallic foams by plasma electrolysis deposition [1].This process consists in applying a voltage within the 20-100V range at a cathode immerged in a solution containing metallic ions. Under these specific conditions, a uniform gaseous sheath is created around the cathode which is then isolated from the liquid. Due to the high electrical field applied at the electrode surface, several electrical plasma discharges are formed between the cathode and the gas/liquid interface. When the electrical discharges meet the solution, metallic cations are reduced to form metallic strands about 100 nm in diameter. The formed strands are all interconnected together to form metallic foam with micrometric porosities [2]. A few millimeters wide foam with a volumetric mass up to 100mg/cc is obtained in about 10 seconds which is very fast compared to classical electrochemical deposition techniques. The foams synthetized can be made up of pure metals (Cu, Au, Pt ...) or alloys (AuCu ...) in accordance to the metallic ions diluted in the solution.In order to control the shape and homogeneity of the synthetized foams, a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the foams’ growth is required. By direct camera observation, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), we can show that the growth behavior and the structure of the foams vary with the applied voltage. We observe three main growth patterns which seem to correspond to the different propagation modes of streamer type electrical discharges reported in the literature on plasma discharges in dielectric liquids [3,4]. The first one obtained at “low” voltage is composed of very thin strands (Ø < 100 nm) growing linearly with few ramifications. The second one is formed by highly branched strands about 100 to 600 nm in diameter. TEM observations of first and second mode strands show that their structure is monocrystalline and field oriented. A third mode obtained at the highest voltages is made up of strands above 1 µm thick with a shape very similar to the aggregates obtained in diffusion limited conditions [5]. Voltammetry studies conducted on the electrolytes show that the reduction of metallic species are indeed diffusion limited. Moreover a lower limit current corresponds to a more predominant germination phenomenon on strands. The mass transportation plays a major role alongside the applied voltage in defining the growth mode of the metallic foams and the microstructure of the strands. The structure of the metallic strands and it’s evolution with the synthesis parameters seems in accordance to the electrodeposition theory [6]. However if our results indicate that the reduction and crystallization of the strands may result from an electrochemical process, the field oriented crystalline structure obtained is unlikely to be possible inside an aqueous electrolyte with the speed of growth observed. We conclude this work by proposing an original mechanism for the growth of the foam involving electrochemistry within a plasma medium.

Immersion Testing of Variously Coated Ceramic Foam Filters in an AZ91 Magnesium Melt

Herein, the aim is to investigate the applicability of various ceramic foam filter materials in the filtration of magnesium alloy melts. The durability of ceramic foam filters is studied throughout their immersion in an AZ91 melt for up to 60 min at 680 °C. The four selected types of ceramic foam samples consist of ZrO2, uncoated Al2O3‐C and Al2O3‐C coated in MgAlON or Al2O3. Immersion tests are conducted for 5–60 min in a vertical tube furnace in an Ar/SF6 protective atmosphere. After their immersion, the cooled filters are evaluated by means of optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Every filter sample retrieved from the melt is intact; layers of MgO and occasional metal droplets are found on their surfaces, confirming their durability and applicability in the filtration of magnesium melts. The pre‐ and post‐immersion cross sections of the AZ91 samples are evaluated by means of an automatic SEM to assess the presence of inclusions in the metal. The number of inclusions containing oxygen or nitrogen is notably lower for AZ91 samples that were in contact with Al2O3‐C‐, Al2O3‐, or MgAlON‐coated filters, showing the potential of these materials for the filtration of magnesium alloy melts.

Water pool boiling in metal foams: From experimental results to a generalized model based on artificial neural network

This paper shows the promising capabilities that the aluminum metal foams offer in enhancing the water pool boiling on flat surfaces. Different metal foam samples, with pore density ranging between 5 and 40 Pore Per Inch (PPI), with similar porosity values, around 0.92, and two different thickness values, 5 and 10 mm, were tested to investigate their pertinent pool boiling performance. The saturated boiling curves at atmospheric pressure were obtained. Furthermore, using a high speed camera, heat and fluid flow inside and above the porous layer were investigated. The results showed that boiling heat transfer can be greatly enhanced by the use of metal foams partly because of an earlier onset of the nucleate boiling. Moreover, over a wide range of operating conditions foams lead to remarkably higher heat transfer coefficients, compared with a smooth aluminum reference surface. For a more comprehensive understanding of the problem, we tried to correlate the existing data in the literature for different foam geometries and base materials. However, the existing correlations and independent test data in the literature do not agree well; not even within the same order of magnitude. Hence, in order to offer a generic solution, predictions based on the results of an artificial neural network (ANN) are sought. A large database, comprising 758 experimental data points available in the open literature, was collected and then used to develop, train and validate a model based on ANN to estimate the heat transfer performance of metal foams during water pool boiling. Our data show that the predicted Nusselt number is within 10% of the measured experimental data. Moreover, we demonstrate that the developed ANN tool can be successfully implemented to predict the intrinsic complexity of water pool boiling inside metal foams that in most cases cannot be articulated by merely relying on conventional semi-empirical methods.

Effect of Core Architecture on Charpy Impact and Compression Properties of Tufted Sandwich Structural Composites.

This study presents a novel sandwich structure that replaces the polypropylene (PP) foam core with a carbon fiber non-woven material in the tufting process and the liquid resin infusion (LRI) process. An experimental investigation was conducted into the flatwise compression properties and Charpy impact resistance of sandwich composites. The obtained results validate an enhancement to the mechanical properties due to the non-woven core and tufting yarns. Compared to samples with a pure foam core and samples without tufting threads, the compressive strength increased by 45% and 86%, respectively. The sample with a non-woven layer and tufting yarns had the highest Charpy absorbed energy (23.85 Kj/m2), which is approximately 66% higher than the samples without a non-woven layer and 90% higher than the samples without tufting yarns. Due to the buckling of the resin cylinders in the Z-direction that occurred in all of the different sandwich samples during the compression test, the classical buckling theory was adopted to analyze the differences between the results. The specific properties of the weight gains are discussed in this paper. The results show that the core layers have a negative effect on impact resistance. Nevertheless, the addition of tufting yarns presents an obvious benefit to all of the specific properties.

Determining the Optimal Conditions for the Production by Supercritical CO2 of Biodegradable PLGA Foams for the Controlled Release of Rutin as a Medical Treatment.

Poly(D,L,-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) foam samples impregnated with rutin were successfully produced by supercritical foaming processes. A number of parameters such as pressure (80–200 bar), temperature (35–55 °C), depressurization rate (5–100 bar/min), ratio lactide:glycolide of the poly(D,L,-lactide-co-glycolide) (50:50 and 75:25) were studied to determine their effect on the expansion factor and on the glass transition temperature of the polymer foams and their consequences on the release profile of the rutin entrapped in them. The impregnated foams were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and mercury intrusion porosimetry. A greater impregnation of rutin into the polymer foam pores was observed as pressure was increased. The release of rutin in a phosphate buffer solution was investigated. The controlled release tests confirmed that the modification of certain variables would result in considerable differences in the drug release profiles. Thus, five-day drug release periods were achieved under high pressure and temperature while the depressurization rate remained low.

Influences of Increased Pressure Foaming on the Cellular Structure and Compressive Properties of In Situ Al-4.5%Cu-xTiB2 Composite Foams with Different Particle Fraction.

Metallic foams have drawn increasing attention in applications ranging from lightweight structures to energy absorption devices. Mechanical properties of metallic foams depend on both their microstructure and cellular structure. In situ Al-4.5%Cu-xTiB2 composites were used as start materials for fabrication of closed-cell foams through liquid route under atmosphere pressure and increased pressure, aiming at simultaneously strengthening the cell wall material and optimizing the cellular structure. Macro-structural features of the foams were determined by micro X-ray computed tomography (µCT); results exhibit that increasing weight ratio of in situ TiB2 particles leads to coarsened cell structure for foams made under atmosphere pressure, due to the increase in critical thickness of cell wall rupture. Significant reduction of cell size and increase in cell circularity were observed for foams fabricated under increased pressure. Quasi static compression test results indicate that yield strength of foam samples increases with increasing particle fraction and refinement of cell structure. Microstructure observation shows that the continuous network at interdendritic regions consists of in situ TiB2 particles and intermetallic compounds are responsible for the reduced ductility of cell wall materials and the reduction in energy absorption efficiency of foams with high particle fraction. The influences of cell structure on the normalized strength and specific energy absorption were also discussed, and it was found that the improvement of yield strength and energy absorption of composite foams attributes to both the reinforcement of in situ TiB2 particles and the refinement of cellular structure.

Studies of the Influence of Graphite on the Physical Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Polyurethane Foams for Construction Applications

The paper shows the applicability of expandable graphite METOPAC EG 350-50 (80) in a rigid PU foam system as a substance that reduces the flammability (flame retardant) and improves the usability. The studies of the physical mechanical and thermal properties of PU foam with a higher graphite content revealed a higher normal sound absorption coefficient; insignificant influence on the thermal conductivity; a higher decomposition onset temperature; more difficult ignition. PU foam sample with a ratio of 15 graphite weight fractions to 100 polyol weight fractions has the highest physical mechanical and thermal properties, and, as compared to the starting PU foam, it features an increase in normal sound absorption coefficient by an average of 3 times; a decrease in the thermal conductivity by 8 %; an increase in the decomposition onset temperature by 6.7 °С. Therefore, the modification of PU foam with expandable graphite makes it possible not only to develop hardly combustible polyurethanes but also to improve its physical mechanical and thermal properties.

Glass Foam Made with Silicon Nitride and Manganese Oxide by Microwave Irradiation

A high mechanical strength (6.1 MPa) glass foam was produced by sintering/foaming at 830 ºC in an experimental 0.8 kW-microwave oven. The basic raw material was a colorless flat glass waste and the foaming agent was Si3N4 powder (2 wt.%). As an oxygen supplying agent, a MnO2 powder (3.1 wt.%) was used. The main physical, mechanical, thermal and morphological characteristics of the optimal sample were: apparent density of 0.47 g/cm3, porosity of 77.6%, thermal conductivity of 0.105 W/m·K, compressive strength of 6.1 MPa and pore size between 0.15-0.40 mm. The optimal glass foam sample has the required characteristics of a thermal insulation material usable under mechanical stress conditions in civil engineering. The originality of the paper is the application of the unconventional microwave heating technique, faster and more economical, unlike the other papers in the same area published in the literature, followers of the traditional conventional heating technique.

Effect of novel cryogenic treatment in the corrosion behaviour, microstructure analysis and electrochemical properties of Al 6101 closed-cell foam

ABSTRACT The corrosion behaviour of the closed-cell aluminium foam made of Al 6101 alloy in different heat regimes such as heat treatment (HT), cryogenic treatment (CT) and cryogenic heat treatment (CHT) are investigated in this research work. The Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and DC polarisation are the techniques employed in this research work. The microstructure, surface morphology and composition of the treated foam samples are evaluated using a high-resolution Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Analysis of X-rays (EDAX). The polarisation and electrochemical impedance measurements of the CT and HT foam samples reveal appealing results in the corrosion resistance when comparing with untreated foam sample. From the SEM images, it is evident that the deep cryogenic treatment changes the morphology of Al 6101 foam and the formation of the Guinier-Preston (GP) zone increases the density of dislocation.

Numerical investigation of turbulent flow in a wavy channel partially filled with a porous layer

In this paper, the effect of inserting a porous layer inside a wavy channel on the mean flow and turbulent characteristics in both developing and repeated flow regions have been investigated numerically. The modified Launder-Sharma low-Reynolds number k−ε turbulence model, which was used in a previous study [1] with two extensions model, has been utilised to represent the turbulence in the porous region. For validation, the flow in a clear channel with wavy bottom wall has been considered. The results of clear channel have been compared with the experimental data produced by [2], where the results computed were in a good agreement with the experimental data. In the porous wavy channel flow case, the same dimensions of the clear wavy channel have been adopted but with covering the bottom wavy wall with a porous layer formed of an open-cell metal foam. Three values for the wave amplitude of the wavy bottom wall and porous layer thickness have been considered, which are (0,0.1,0.2) and (0,0.15H,0.3H), respectively. Three samples of metal foams have been tested along with the effect of the wave amplitude of the wavy surface and the thickness of the wavy porous layer on the turbulent flow. These types are (ϕ=0.9486&ω=10PPI), (ϕ=0.952&ω=40PPI) and (ϕ=0.81&ω=13PPI). For all calculations, a Reynolds number equals to 20,600 has been considered. In the near fluid-porous interface region, damping functions have been used. The results show that the repeated flow pattern tends to occur in earlier region towards upstream than the flow over solid wavy surface when the permeability of the porous layer is decreased. Moreover, the repeated flow pattern also tends to occur in early region of the wavy part of the channel when the wave amplitude and porous layer thickness are increased, compared to the lower wave amplitude and low porous layer thickness. Decreasing the permeability increases the size of the recirculation cell in the repeated flow region and also increases the turbulent energy in the clear region. Increasing porous layer thickness, on the other hand, reduces the size of circulation cell and the turbulent energy.

Effect of silica‐coated TiO2 nanorods on the foamability of polypropylene and photostability of foamed polypropylene

Researches about the heterogeneous nucleation ability of nanorods and the weather resistance of polypropylene (PP) foams were very limited. In this study, the well‐defined rutile TiO2 nanorods with UV‐absorbing function were coated with silica and then calcined. The obtained nanorods (denoted as “TS”) could be uniformly dispersed in PP matrix by melt blending. The foaming behavior of linear PP and its composites was investigated by using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) as a physical foaming agent. The results demonstrated that the addition of 5 wt% TS made PP/TS‐5% foam have higher cell density, regular cell structure and uniform cell distribution owing to the large numbers of nucleation sites provided by well‐dispersed TS nanorods. At the same time, the aging performance of PP foam samples was evaluated by the changes of macro or micro morphology, melting and crystallization behavior before and after UVB irradiation. It was intuitively found that the damage to the surface of PP foams caused by UV light, involving the erosion of surface, the collapse of cells and the degradation of PP chains could be significantly suppressed by the incorporation of TS nanorods. These findings indicated that TS nanorods could be used as multifunctional nanofillers to achieve the PP foams with improved foamability and photostability.

Polyisocyanurate Foam Pyrolysis and Flame Spread Modeling

Polyisocyanurate (PIR) foam is a robust thermal insulation material utilized widely in the modern construction. In this work, the flammability of one representative example of this material was studied systematically using experiments and modeling. The thermal decomposition of this material was analyzed through thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and microscale combustion calorimetry. The thermal transport properties of the pyrolyzing foam were evaluated using Controlled Atmosphere Pyrolysis Apparatus II experiments. Cone calorimetry tests were also carried out on the foam samples to quantify the contribution of the blowing agent (contained within the foam) to its flammability, which was found to be significant. A complete pyrolysis property set was developed and was shown to accurately predict the results of all aforementioned measurements. The foam was also subjected to full-scale flame spread tests, similar to the Single Burning Item test. A previously developed modeling approach based on a coupling between detailed pyrolysis simulations and a spatially-resolved relationship between the total heat release rate and heat feedback from the flame, derived from the experiments on a different material in the same experimental setup, was found to successfully predict the evolution of the heat release rate measured in the full-scale tests on the PIR foam.

Self-healing polyelectrolyte complex coating for flame retardant flexible polyurethane foam with enhanced mechanical property

A self-healing coating containing polyethyleneimine (PEI)/ammonium polyphosphate (APP) polyelectrolyte complex was successfully prepared, and then was deposited on flexible polyurethane foam (FPUF) in association with graphene oxide (GO) via a simple dip-nip process to improve the flame retardancy and mechanical property. The vertical burning test revealed that the FPUF coated with PEI/APP and GO extinguished immediately after removing the igniter. The cone calorimeter results demonstrated that the coating effectively reduced the peak heat release rate by 63.8%. The char analysis suggested that PEI/APP formed an intumescent char structure and released inert gases, whilst GO improved the compactness of the char layer. Furthermore, the compressive strength of the coated foam sample was increased by 175.0% compared to that of the control FPUF sample. The mechanical properties analysis and morphology observation proved that the PEI/APP-GO coating had self-healing ability. This unique intrinsic self-healing coating provides a new opportunity for imparting flame retardancy and excellent mechanical property to foam materials used in many commercial cases.

Three dimensional modelling of aluminum foam through computed tomography scan technique

PurposeThis study aims to generate different three-dimensional (3D) foam models using computer tomography (CT) scan and solid continuum techniques. The generated foam models were used to study deformation mechanism and the elastic-plastic behaviour with the existing experimental foam behaviour.Design/methodology/approachCT scan model was generated by combing 2D images of foam in MIMICS software. Afterwards, it was imported in ABAQUS/CAE software. However, solid continuum model was generated in ABAQUS/CAE software by using crushable foam properties. Then, the generated foam models were sets boundary conditions for a compression test.FindingsCT scans capture the actual morphology of foam sample which may directly an image based finite element foam model. The sectional views of both the models were used to observe deformation mechanism on compression. The real compressive behaviour of foam was visualised in CT-Scan foam model. It was observed that CT-scan model was the more accurate modelling method than crushable foam model.Originality/valueThe internal structure of foam is very complex and difficult to analyse. Therefore, CT-scanning may be the accurate method for capturing the macro-level detailing of foam structure. A CT-scan foam model can be used for multiple times for mechanical analysis using a simulation software, which may reduce the manufacturing and the experimental cost and time.

Application of statistical functions to the numerical modelling of ceramic foam: From characterisation of CT-data via generation of the virtual microstructure to estimation of effective elastic properties

This paper illustrates a numerical methodology to quantify and recreate the microstructure of a ceramic foam using statistical functions and physical descriptors (together referred to as microstructure descriptors). The microstructure descriptors were employed to characterize a real foam material obtained from X-ray tomography (CT) scans. The statistical functions were further used to determine an appropriate size of a statistical volume element (SVE) within the foam sample to be further used in numerical determination of effective elastic properties. A ranking method was also developed to reduce the number of realizations of SVEs used in this calculation. Further, a novel reconstruction procedure was developed to synthesize artificial microstructure of the foam material that had the same microstructure descriptors as the real foam sample. Effective elastic properties of these artificial microstructures were determined as well. Comparison of these properties with experimental results showed that the statistical functions can be used to minimize the computational effort required for determining effective elastic properties of real microstructures. Further, the reconstruction methodology generates microstructure that matches the real microstructure not only in terms of its microstructural descriptors but also in terms of the effective elastic material properties.