Title: Statistical analysis of pore structure and compression behaviour of Al-Si foams

Authors: Li Wei; Csaba Sinka; Lida Che

Addresses: Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenyang Ligong University, 6 Nanping Middle Road, Shenyang 110159, China ' Department of Engineering, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK ' Department of Engineering, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK

Abstract: The evolution of pore morphology of closed cell Al-Si alloy foams during compression was examined using X-ray computed tomography. The stress-strain curves of the foams were obtained. The structural deformation of the pores during compression and the microstructures were analysed. Al-Si alloy foams were found to present brittle behaviour; cracks appeared in cell walls after the elastic deformation stage. As the compression proceeded, the cracks extended and some of the cell walls fractured and a crack developed through the specimen causing failure. As the relative density increased, yield strength and effective elastic modulus of Al-Si foams increased. For φ (volume fraction of solid) between 0.97 and 0.2 the measured elastic modulus and yield strength were consistent with existing empirical models for foam materials.

Keywords: aluminium foam; pore morphology; compression behaviour; statistical analysis; aluminium alloys; silicon; stress-strain curves; structural deformation; microstructure; brittle behaviour; cracks; elastic deformation; failure; relative density; yield strength; elastic modulus.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMIC.2013.057571

International Journal of Modelling, Identification and Control, 2013 Vol.20 No.4, pp.379 - 386

Published online: 27 Sep 2014 *

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