In-situ X-ray computed tomography of decompression failure in a rubber exposed to high-pressure gas

Cavitation is a damage process often observed during or after pressure release in polymers exposed to high-pressure diffusive gases. Only a few characterizations of the phenomenon have been reported in the literature, all of them being based on 2D pictures of the sample taken after removal from the pressure chamber or, more recently, inside the chamber during pressure release. This study displays the first time-resolved 3D imaging of decompression failure in high-pressure gas exposed polymers, obtained from in-situ X-ray computed tomography. New data were provided about the out-of-plane shape and volume distribution of cavities. It allowed rigorous estimation of a Morphological Representative Volume Element for the cavity field. The bias resulting from the former 2D-projection methods could be discussed.