Compressive deformation behavior and energy absorption of Al foam-filled carbon fiber reinforced plastic thin-walled tube

Abstract

The Al foams made by space-holder method were physically inserted into carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) composite thin-wall tubes to obtain the composite structure of Al foam-filled CFRP composite thin-wall tubes. Quasi-static compression tests of CFRP composite tubes, Al foams and Al foam-filled CFRP composite thin-wall tubes were carried out to study their compression properties. Meanwhile, digital image correlation (DIC) was applied to analyze their deformation modes. Furthermore, the compressive properties, energy absorption properties and failure modes of Al foam-filled CFRP composite thin-wall tubes at different temperatures (25-150℃) were studied. The results show that Al foams as fillers change the compression deformation behavior of CFRP composite thin-walled tubes from the scattering flowering failure of a single CFRP composite tube to the fiber layer fracture failure of a foam-filled tube. Comparing to CFRP composite thin-walled tubes, the stress fluctuations of Al foam-filled CFRP composite thin-wall tubes decrease obviously. With environmental temperature increasing, both the compressive properties and energy absorption properties of CFRP composite thin-walled tubes, Al foams and Al foam-filled CFRP composite thin-wall tubes decrease. But the interaction between Al foams and CFRP composite thin-walled tubes is enhanced, the enhancement effect of Al foams on CFRP composite thin-walled tubes is more obvious at high temperature.