Mechanical, Thermal, and Acoustic Properties of Aluminum Foams Impregnated with Epoxy/Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites

Susana C Pinto,Paula A.A.P Marques,Isabel Duarte,Matej Vesenjak,Luís Godinho,Lovre Krstulović-Opara,Romeu Vicente

doi:10.3390/met9111214

Susana C Pinto, Paula A.A.P Marques + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/met9111214

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Abstract

Hybrid structures with epoxy embedded in open-cell aluminum foam were developed by combining open-cell aluminum foam specimens with unreinforced and reinforced epoxy resin using graphene oxide. These new hybrid structures were fabricated by infiltrating an open-cell aluminum foam specimen with pure epoxy or mixtures of epoxy and graphene oxide, completely filling the pores. The effects of graphene oxide on the mechanical, thermal, and acoustic performance of epoxy/graphene oxide-based nanocomposites are reported. Mechanical compression analysis was conducted through quasi-static uniaxial compression tests at two loading rates (0.1 mm/s and 1 mm/s). Results show that the thermal stability and the sound absorption coefficient of the hybrid structures were improved by the incorporation of the graphene oxide within the epoxy matrix. However, the incorporation of the graphene oxide into the epoxy matrix can create voids inside the epoxy resin, leading to a decrease of the compressive strength of the hybrid structures, thus no significant increase in the energy absorption capability was observed.

Highlights

Metal foams have gained special attention in the last years due to their outstanding properties [1].The first reference to metallic foams is a French patent published in 1925 by Meller; its commercialization only started three decades later in the United States of America (USA)
In order to assure an uniform dispersion of the Graphene oxide (GO) within the epoxy resin (EP), a preliminary study was performed by using quasi-static uniaxial compression and Vickers hardness (HV) tests
This work analyzes the influence of graphene oxide (GO) that was carefully dispersed in the epoxy resin (EP) matrix on the mechanical, thermal, and sound absorbing properties

Summary

Introduction

Metal foams have gained special attention in the last years due to their outstanding properties [1].The first reference to metallic foams is a French patent published in 1925 by Meller; its commercialization only started three decades later in the United States of America (USA). Metal foams have gained special attention in the last years due to their outstanding properties [1]. With the development of new technologies that allowed the decrease of cost and difficulties in the manufacturing process, there was a boost in their development that is still ongoing [2]. With these recent developments, metal foams have become commercially available in a wide variety of structures [3]. It is important to predict their mechanical behavior prior their application. While the behavior of closed-cell foams is difficult to predict, since

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