Abstract
The efficiency of energy absorbing materials in crash elements is, besides others, strongly influenced by their stress–strain behaviour under uniaxial compression. Theoretical, i.e. meso-mechanical, and experimental studies of the influence of meso-inhomogeneities of the cell structure on the crash worthiness of aluminium foams are dealt with. It is shown that the cell sizes, the cell wall thicknesses and other micro-geometrical parameters should not vary too much in order to achieve optimum specific energy absorption. Strong meso-inhomogeneities lead to strain localizations and, consequently, to a decrease of the initial plateau stress and to increasing ascents in the plateau regime, both reducing the energy absorption efficiency.
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