Compressive properties of zinc syntactic foams at elevated temperatures

This paper investigates the effect of temperature on the microstructure, failure mechanism and compressive mechanical properties of newly developed ZA27 syntactic foams. Two different types of filler particles are considered, i.e. expanded perlite (P) and expanded glass (G). Metallic syntactic foam (MSF) has been produced via a counter-gravity infiltration process of packed particle beds, followed by controlled thermal exposure. Quasi-static compressive tests were carried out on cylindrical samples at five different in-situ testing temperatures between 25 degrees C and 350 degrees C. At all considered temperatures, P-MSF exhibits superior mechanical properties compared to G-MSF. The mechanical properties of both foam types decrease significantly with increasing testing temperature. For comparison, solid ZA27 samples were compressed at the same testing temperatures. Due to microstructural changes, a significant strength degradation of solid ZA27 was observed starting at 100 degrees C. Comparison of results indicates that the temperature-dependent mechanical properties of P-MSF and G-MSF are strongly controlled by the matrix material. However, the addition of particles decreased the relative reduction of plateau stress and volumetric energy absorption of ZA27 MSF at elevated temperatures.