STRENGTH AND ELASTIC BEHAVIOR OF CELLULAR METALLIC FOAMS: EFFECTS OF GEOMETRIC SHAPE AND RELATIVE DENSITY

Abstract

Metallic foams, composed of solid metal with gas-filled pores, offer remarkable properties such as lightweight, high compressive strength, low specific weight, and high stiffness. The mechanical properties, including Young’s modulus and energy absorption, are significantly influenced by their shape, structure, and relative density. Variations in pore size distribution can reduce Young’s modulus, even at the same relative density. Therefore, understanding the influence of shape and pore size distribution is crucial in optimizing the performance of metallic foams for various engineering applications. This study employs computational methods to investigate the behavior of metallic foams under uni-axial tension, exploring various configurations and relative densities. The main objective is to analyze the mechanical properties, particularly the strength and Young’s modulus, of these foams through numerical simulations. Different foam configurations and relative densities are modeled using finite element analysis (FEA) techniques. The computational results reveal significant variations in mechanical responses depending on the foam configuration and density. Higher density foams demonstrate enhanced strength and stiffness, while certain configurations exhibit improved deformation characteristics. This computational study provides valuable insights into the mechanical performance of metallic foams, highlighting the influence of configuration and density on their behavior. These findings may contribute to the optimization of metallic foam designs for diverse engineering applications.