<p>Aluminum foam often collapses during the foaming process, adversely affecting its pore structure and resulting in suboptimal compression and energy absorption performance. To address this issue and enhance the mechanical properties of aluminum foam for broader applications in the automotive industry and other fields, this study developed an Al/TaC foam composite (AT-FC) using powder metallurgy. The composite incorporates tantalum carbide (TaC) as reinforcement particles, titanium powder as a combustion aid, titanium hydride as a foaming agent, and wood fiber as a space-holder material. The effects of varying TaC content on the pore structure and distribution of the aluminum foam composite were systematically investigated, alongside axial quasi-static compression tests.</p><p>The results reveal that TaC content significantly influences the porosity and pore distribution of aluminum foam, while the inclusion of wood fiber as a spatial support material effectively prevents collapse. Compression tests showed that the mechanical properties were optimized with 10% TaC content, achieving a compressive strength of 10.223&#xa0;MPa and an energy absorption capacity of 3.977&#xa0;MJ/m³ before reaching the densification strain.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>