Structure characterization of foams and filled polymers by means of MRI

The structure of foams and filled polymers can be analyzed by means of MRI. It is also possible to observe the deformation behavior of the structure of foams and filled polymers in situ. A displacement experiment (rigid body) was performed in the magnet and observed by MRI. The NMR images are analyzed by image processing. Average distances between particles are estimated by the use of the autocorrelation function and the spectrum of the autocorrelation function. The spectrum shows the spatial frequency of the distances. The displacement field was calculated by the cross-correlation function. Information about particle distances and micromechanical deformation can be obtained by NMR imaging methods by combining autocorrelation and cross-correlation.