Micro-CT in the mechanical properties and energy absorption of closed-cell aluminium foam

Abstract

In situ loading experiments of closed-cell aluminium foam with densities of 0.217 g/cm3, 0.347 g/cm3, 0.414 g/cm3 and 0.588 g/cm3 prepared from industrial pure aluminium 1060 and titanium hydroxide TiH2 foaming agent were carried out by micro-CT. The pore structure parameters such as porosity, pore size distribution and sphericity of aluminium foams with different densities were analyzed, and the effects of pore structure parameters on mechanical properties and energy absorption were investigated to reveal the differences in mechanical characterization of aluminium foams with different densities. The results show that: the collapse of aluminium foam pores in the in-situ loading experiments starts from the high porosity region; aluminium foam with high density has low porosity, small pores and good sphericity; the stress-strain curve of aluminium foam with high density is located above and the elastic modulus is large; the energy absorption capacity is related to the density of aluminium foam, and the energy absorption capacity is large with high density, but the energy absorption efficiency is mainly related to whether the structure is uniform or not.