Simulation of polyurethane foaming process based on physical property parameters

Yang Yu; Xuebin Chang; Fengfu Yin; Lin Li

doi:10.1515/ipp-2025-0047

Article

Simulation of polyurethane foaming process based on physical property parameters

Yang Yu , Xuebin Chang , Fengfu Yin and Lin Li

Published/Copyright: September 15, 2025

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From the journal International Polymer Processing Volume 40 Issue 5

Abstract

To address the complexity and high degree of idealization in the numerical simulation of polyurethane foaming in thermal insulation layers, a simulation model based on material parameters was developed. This model focuses on the dynamic variations in density and viscosity during the foaming process. Material properties are defined using a User-Defined Function (UDF), and the accuracy of the model was validated by comparing simulation results with experimental data. The results show that the average errors in simulated density and viscosity changes are 5.81 % and 7.94 %, respectively, when compared with experimental data. These results indicate that the model accurately captures the evolution of polyurethane foam properties during foaming. Finally, the accuracy of the model is further demonstrated through the application of the model to a specific refrigerator structure as a case study. This study provides valuable insights for analyzing the foaming and molding behavior of polyurethane in insulation layers for optimized process design.

Keywords: polyurethane foam; foaming process; physical parameter simulation; CFD simulation; refrigerator filling

Corresponding author: Fengfu Yin and Lin Li, College of Electromechanical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266061, China, E-mail: Yinff@qust.edu.cn (F. Yin), li_lin1987@126.com (L. Li).

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Shengqiang Jiao for his guidance and support in ensuring the proper formatting of this work.

Research ethics: Not applicable.
Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study, or their legal guardians or wards.
Author contributions: The first author Yang Yu: Writing – review & editing, Writing – original draft, Methodology, Formal analysis, Data curation, Conceptualization. The second author Xuebin Chang: Writing – original draft, Data curation. The third and the co-corresponding author Fengfu Yin: Project administration, Investigation, Funding acquisition. The fourth and the corresponding author Lin Li: Writing – review & editing, Supervision, Project administration, Methodology, Formal analysis, Conceptualization. All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.
Conflict of interest: The authors state no conflict of interest.
Research funding: This research was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2020YFB1713001).
Data availability: Not applicable.

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Received: 2025-05-13

Accepted: 2025-07-31

Published Online: 2025-09-15

Published in Print: 2025-11-25

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/ipp-2025-0047

Keywords for this article

polyurethane foam; foaming process; physical parameter simulation; CFD simulation; refrigerator filling