Compressive strength of aluminium foams

Compressive strength was measured for aluminium foam specimens having different density and size. Larger specimens exhibited lower mean strength and narrower scattering of the strength values versus material density than the smaller ones. This behaviour is explained in terms of a greater probability of the existence of lower density regions in the former specimens. Both small and large low-density samples show more reproducible properties than the higher density ones. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.