International Journal of Aerospace and Lightweight Structures

doi: 10.3850/S201042861400004X

Study on the Quasi-Static Indentation Behavior of Al Foam

Xinzhu Wang^1,2,a, Xianghe Peng¹ and Shan Tang^{1 1}Chongqing Key Laboratory of Heterogeneous Material Mechanics, Department of Engineering Mechanics,
Postdoctoral Station of Mechanics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400040, China. ^awxz@cqu.edu.cn ²State Key Laboratory of Advanced Design and Manufacture for Vehicle Body, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China.

ABSTRACT

The response of closed-cell Al foams under the flat-end cylindrical indenter is experimentally and numerically investigated. The effects of the indenter diameter and the relative density of Al foam on the tearing energy, indentation hardness, energy absorbing capability and efficiency are also investigated. Experimental results show that the indentation load-displacement response obtained with the flat-end cylindrical indenter is similar to that under uniaxial compression. Cross-sectional views of the indented specimens show that the deformation is non-uniform and confined only to the region directly under the indenter with insignificant lateral extension. The tearing energy and the efficiency energy absorption of Al foam are independent of the indenter diameter and the relative density of Al foam. The indentation hardness decreases linearly with increasing of indenter diameter or decreasing of relative density, but the energy absorption capability increases linearly with the increase of indenter diameter and relative density. In order to study the effects of boundary condition, both rigid and simply supported boundary conditions are considered. At a certain range of indentation depth, the difference between the result with rigid foundation and that with simply supported condition is negligible. Results obtained with finite element simulation and experiments are found to be in satisfactory agreement.

Keywords: Al foam, Indentation, Tearing energy, Energy absorption.

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