Dynamic Response and Numerical Simulation of Closed-Cell Al Foams

The drop hammer impact test was carried out to investigate the dynamic response of closed-cell Al foams. A relatively reasonable method was also developed to evaluate the velocity sensitivity of cellular material. The typical impact load-displacement curve exhibited two stages containing the initial compression stage and the progressive crushing stage. Three compressive damage behaviors and four failure modes of closed-cell Al foams were revealed, while the effect of velocity on the impact properties and the energy absorption capacity of different specimens were investigated. The results showed that the specific energy absorption of the specimens increased with the increasing density of the specimen and the impact velocity. However, the specimens with higher specific energy absorption seemed not to indicate better cushioning performance due to the shorter crushing displacement. In addition, the uniaxial impact simulation of two-dimensional (2D) Voronoi-based foam specimens was conducted at higher impact velocities. The simulation results of impact properties and deformation behavior agreed reasonably well with the experimental results, exhibiting similar velocity insensitivity of peak loads and deformation morphologies during uniaxial impact.

Automated summary

The drop hammer impact test and simulation study on closed-cell Al foams revealed that increasing density and impact velocity can enhance the energy absorption capacity of the specimens, but higher energy absorption does not necessarily indicate better cushioning performance.