A continuous extrusion process for the manufacture of low-density, microcellular, open-cell thermoplastic foams is presented using a single-screw tandem extrusion foaming system. Fundamental studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of various processing parameters and materials compositions on the basic properties (i.e., extensional behavior, solubility, diffusivity, and initial foam extrudate shape) of plastic melts and melt/gas solutions that influence the cell morphologies of thermoplastic foams. The observed phenomena were essential in understanding and devising the processing strategies to achieve a desired foam structure. Based on the fundamental studies, this thesis presents the basic strategies for promoting a low-density, microcellular, open-cell thermoplastic foam. The effects of polymer blending, additives, processing temperature, blowing agent content, die geometry, and surface quenching on the final foam morphologies were thoroughly investigated to verify the proposed strategies. By tailoring the material compositions and processing conditions, low-density (>10 fold), microcellular (10⁹ cells/cm³), open-cell (>95%) thermoplastic foams were successfully achieved.

In order to promote a deeper understanding of the cell opening behavior during foaming, a failure analysis of a cell wall was performed according to the Considére and Failure criteria using the uniaxial experimental data of a polymer melt. A theoretical approach to prediction of the cell wall rupture moment was proposed using two adjacent cubic-shaped cells. This concept was further extended to arrive at an estimation of the minimum threshold diameter of a foam extrudate to produce an open-cell foam structure.

Furthermore, a procedure for estimating gas loss from a foam structure was proposed in order to understand the effect of gas loss during open-cell content measurement using a gas pycnometer, and the corresponding open-cell content errors were calculated.