Dynamic behavior of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foam under compressive loads: Experimental and numerical study

Abstract

The behavior of PET foam under quasi-static and dynamic compressive loads is analyzed. An experimental study is performed to evaluate its mechanical behavior and energy absorption characteristics at different strain rates. Also, a numerical model is developed to reproduce the dynamic compression behavior of the PET foam. Differences between the properties obtained in the quasi-static and dynamic tests show that the strength, stiffness and energy absorption efficiency are dependent on strain rate. The evolution of the Poisson ratio with strain and strain ratio is studied. A decrease in the Poisson ratio is observed as the strain rate increases.