Structure-property relationships of polydisperse open-cell foams: Application to melamine foams

Melamine foam, categorized as an open-cell foam structure, absorbs sound through its three-dimensional network of thin struts. The pore size polydispersity within the open-cell melamine microstructure is evidenced from a top-down approach and confirmed by scanning electron microscope (SEM)-image analysis. The remarkable ability of melamine foams to mitigate sound energy is attributed to the pore size distribution, which encompasses co-existing pores of distinct characteristic sizes. Consequently, low-frequency and high-frequency fluid flows will follow different paths within the pore structure. A poly-sized model, which provides a connection between microstructure polydispersity and macroscopic properties, is successfully applied to three different melamine foams. This work highlights the significance and implications of polydispersity effects on the acoustic behavior of open-cell foams.