Enhanced filler-tube wall interaction in liquid nanofoam-filled thin-walled tubes

Abstract

Interfacial bonding is essential to the mechanical properties of foam-filled tubes, but the imperfection in the solid–solid interfacial bonding limits the filler-tube wall interaction, leading to reduced performance. Here, we have employed liquid nanofoam (LN) as a novel filling material in thin-walled tubes, creating a liquid–solid “interfacial bonding”. The crushing behavior of LN-filled tube (LNFT) has been characterized by quasi-static compression and dynamic impact tests. Results show that the strengthening coefficient of the LNFTs was 3.8, much higher than that of best solid foam-filled tubes. The improved reinforcement effect indicates that the filler-tube wall interaction is much enhanced at the liquid–solid interface, which demonstrates the “perfect bonding” between LN and the tube wall. These findings provide new concepts in designing novel composite materials and structures.