Cushioning properties and application of expanded polystyrene for a dynamic nonlinear system

Abstract To explore the cushioning properties of expanded polystyrene (EPS), a novel two‐degree‐of‐freedom mathematical model is proposed with a dynamic nonlinear system and successfully implemented it. The maximum response acceleration of the product was first determined in the novel dynamic mathematical model and used as a parameter for evaluating product damage. Furthermore, a drop test was carried out to verify the theoretical model and showed good consistency. Based on the correct theoretical model, a number of simulations with different drop heights and thicknesses of the cushion were done to investigate cushioning properties of EPS. The results show that EPS can reduce the maximum response acceleration of the product by more than 20% of the excitation acceleration. Thus, EPS has good cushioning ability and can be used as packaging material to protect products. Finally, the theoretical model was applied to an example application. A new method for constructing the cushioning curve is recommended, which could replace the traditional ASTM D 1596 drop test method