Mechanical Properties of Advanced Pore Morphology Foam Composites

Abstract

This chapter presents the cellular materials and their composites in general and then mostly concentrates on the particularities of advanced pore morphology (APM) foam. Single metallic APM spheres and their mechanical properties are characterized with experimental testing and computational simulations, providing the basic properties and knowledge for an efficient design of composite APM foam structures. The chapter also presents APM foam elements molded with epoxy matrix, resulting in composite structures of different morphology types. One of the most important areas for the future application of cellular materials is in the automotive industry, where their high impact energy absorption through deformation is of crucial importance for increasing the passive safety of vehicles. The experimental testing of single APM foam elements has been performed for quasi-static loading conditions and for dynamic loading conditions. The chapter comprises the mechanical properties of single APM foam elements.