Nano nickel strengthened open cell metal foams under quasistatic and dynamic loading

Abstract

Metal foams are a relatively new class of materials which shows interesting behavior in the field of energy absorption. The mechanical behaviour of open cell aluminium foams with coat- ings of different metals have been investigated under quasi-static and dynamic compression loading in order to enhance the energy absorption capability. Nanocrystalline nickel offered the best perfor- mance for the purpose of enhanced energy dissipation during compressive loading under the in- vestigated coating metals. The effect of coating thickness and pore size was studied by slow and fast quasi-static compression tests and as well as by dynamic compression tests with a split-Hopkinson- pressure-bar (SHPB). There was a linear increase in energy absorption capability with coating thick- ness for the absolute values and per foam thickness but per density or mass the energy absorption capability reached a saturation point. So there is an optimum in coating thickness. Under dynamic loading there was also an increase in energy absorption capability by a factor of 10 for a coating thickness of 50 mm in comparison to uncoated foams even at a very small foam thickness of 4 mm.