Mechanical property data from standard physical tests such as uniaxial compression are subject to artefacts including non-uniformity of applied loading, test fixture-sample contact conditions, and test machine compliance.
In the engineering field it is important that the mechanical behaviour of these materials is characterised correctly, as computationally based predictions of structural performance rely heavily on accurate input data. Polymer foams are used extensively in everyday life, from disposable packaging and soft furnishings through to engineering applications such as core structural materials in the marine industry or bone analogue materials for orthopaedic device testing.