Mechanics Modeling of the Compressive Stiffness and Strength of Open-Celled Aluminum Foams

Abstract

This article presents the results of analytical modeling of the strength and stiffness of open-celled aluminum foams under compressive loading. The analytical models are based on a four-strut structure unit that was extracted from the real open-celled aluminum foam structure. Deformation and strength were first studied in the idealized structure unit bounds. The effects of asymmetric factors were also considered. The models predicted ranges in foam strength and stiffness as functions of relative densities, length ratio, and strut orientation. The predictions from the models were in good agreement with the experimentally measured strengths stiffnesses for open-celled aluminum foams.

Keywords:

• Analytical models
• Elastic deformation
• Plastic bending
• Plastic buckling
• Plastic collapse
• Strength
• Aluminum
• Foam
• Stiffness

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Office of Naval Research (ONR). The authors would like to thank the ONR Program Manager, Dr. Julie Christodolous, for her encouragement and support. Appreciation is also extended to Prof. Alberto Cuitiño for stimulating discussions on the fatigue of metals foams. Grateful thanks and acknowledgments are due to Mr. Bryan Leyda of ERG Materials and Aerospace Corp., for his assistance with foam processing and heat treatment. Finally, the authors would like to thank Dr. George Yoder, formerly of ONR, for his assistance in the initiation of this work.