Influence of Cell Wall Material and Cell Numbers on Mechanical Properties of Closed-Cell Aluminum Foams

The influence of cell wall material and cell number on mechanical properties of closed-cell aluminum foams has been investigated by constructing Kelvin models for a range of relative density. An improved constitutive model accounting for compression and tension hardening discrepancies is proposed. Good agreement is observed between the experimental stress versus strain responses and the prediction of the model. The compressive bearing capacity, Young’s modulus, onset strain of densification, plateau stress, and specific energy absorption increase with the increase in cell number within a specific range while keeping the relative density and cell irregularity constant. It is found that the cell number of closed-cell aluminum foams would also be taken as an index for standardizing product specifications except relative density. The mechanical properties of closed-cell aluminum foams could be enhanced by increasing the cell number rather than by increasing the relative density. Thus, the weight of the structure or component containing the closed-cell aluminum foam can be further reduced.