Technology and Innovation for Cellular Materials and Bioplastics at Industry Service

A new image analysis tool for a quick and accurate quality control and assessment of foams microstructure

𝑹 =𝒕𝒚

𝒕𝒙y

x

ty

tx

Cellular Structure

Thermal

insulation

Stiffness or

strength

Acoustic

insulation

Bouyancy

Cushioning

The key to unravel polymer foams properties and applications

1-Sample preparation

3-Image analysis

2-Image capturing

Complex and time-consuming and

expensive equipment

Current Analysis Methods

X-ray tomography

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

Optical microscopy

Time to analyse 1 sample

Sample preparation

Image capturing

Image analysis Total

X-ray tomography

SEM

Optical microscopy

Current Analysis Methods

2-3 h 3.5-4.5 h

1 h 0.25-1 h

0.75-2 h0.5 h 0.25- 1h

0,5 h

≤ 2 min

1 h

0.5 h 1.75-2.5 h

Cheap equipment

-image 4.0

Quick sample preparation and image

analysis

Accurate results

Autocell-image 4.0

1-Sample Preparation

Slicing + painting ≤ 2 min

Autocell-image 4.0

Cheap and small portable bench-

top optical microscopes

Autocell-image 4.0

Optical Microscopy

2-Image Capturing

x

y

z

Very small samples are

needed

Autocell-image 4.0

2-Image Capturing

Thic

knes

s (z

)

PU FOAM (PLANE Z-X)

x

y

z

Autocell-image 4.0

2-Image Capturing

PU FOAM (PLANE X-Y)

x

y

z

Autocell-image 4.0

2-Image Capturing

Autocell-image 4.0SEM

Highly accurate image capturing

Autocell-image 4.0

2-Image Capturing

3- Image Analysis

MASK GENERATION CELL COUNTING

PARAMETERS CALCULATIONS

≈ 10 sec aprox.

Autocell-image 4.0

SETTING SCALE, AREA of ANALYSIS and METHOD

≈ 50 sec aprox.

Autocell-image 4.0

Sample preparation

Image capturing

Image analysis Total

≤ 2 min ≤ 2 min ≤ 1 min

Time to analyse 1 sampleSample

preparationImage

capturingImage analysis Total

X-ray tomography

SEM

Optical microscopy

2-3 h 3.5-4.5 h

1.75-2.5 h1 h 0.25-1 h

0.75-2 h0.5 h 0.25- 1h

0.5 h 1 h

0.5 h

≤ 5 min

≤ 2 min

FILES PROVIDED: Original Micrograph

Autocell-image 4.0

FILES PROVIDED: Overlapped Mask

Autocell-image 4.0

FILES PROVIDED: Mask

Autocell-image 4.0

FILES PROVIDED: Excel File for R&D Evaluation

Autocell-image 4.0

Average

values

Individual values

for each cell

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Re

lative

Fre

qu

en

cy

Cell size 3D (m)

Cell size distributions

Autocell-image 4.0

FILES PROVIDED: Excel File for R&D Evaluation

Autocell-image 4.0

FILES PROVIDED: Excel File for R&D Evaluation

PID

✓ Cell size ()

✓ Anisotropy ratio (R)

✓ Volumetric cell density

✓ Linear cell density

✓ Cell size distributions

AUTOCELL

≤ 5 min

File with easily readable data for production quality control

Successfully tested with PU foam manufacturers:12 analysis/hour96 analysis/shift

288 analysis/day (3 shifts)

Autocell-image 4.0

Wide range of foams, colours, cellular structures and cell sizes:

From Macrocells to Microcells

Non-crosslinked POExtrusion foaming

Flexible PUReactive foaming

XPSExtrusion foaming

Cross-linked POCompression moulding

Cross-linked rubberCompression moulding

Autocell-image 4.0