In this preliminary study, various shock treatments have been carried out on a number of foam samples of different composition, thickness and diameter, and the following conclusions were drawn: (1) the reticulation rate increases and thus the airflow resistivity decreases while increasing the amplitude of the shock treatment; (2) the rigidity of the foam decreases while increasing the amplitude of the shock treatment; (3) above a critical value of the shock wave amplitude used for the shock treatment, the frame of the material can be destroyed or a crust can develop on its surface; (4) the process is reliable and repeatable; (5) shock wave propagation into the material destroys cell membranes and attenuates progressively as it travels through the material, this attenuation produces a gradient of reticulation along the foam thickness; (6) the reticulation efficiency and gradient is controlled by the shock wave strength; (7) symmetric reticulation properties of the foam are obtained if the shock treatment is applied on both face of the foam.
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