• Barbosa, Joaquim
• Carneiro, Vítor Hugo Pimenta
• Puga, Hélder

Abstract

In this paper, low-cost, aluminum-based composite metal foams are produced by the gravity die casting technique using lightweight expanded clay (LECA) as space holders. The influence of the voids generated by LECA particles on the syntactic composite samples density and mechanical behavior is characterized by quasi-static uniaxial compression. It is shown that smaller particles generate higher relative densities and a reduction in the value of densification strain. The use of larger particle diameter promotes an increase in yield strength and a more stable plateau region of the stress–strain curve, leading to higher values of crushing energy absorption. The influence of the internal structure on these experimental results is correlated with elasto-plastic numerical simulations, and it is suggested that a small mismatch in LECA particle diameter is advantageous for enhancing mechanical properties. ; This work is supported by the research doctoral grant PD/BD/114096/2015 and postdoctoral grant SFRH/BPD/76680/2011 through Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science (FCT). In addition, this work is supported by FCT with the reference project UID/EEA/04436/2013 and by FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020 with the reference project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006941. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Topics

• density
• impedance spectroscopy
• polymer
• simulation
• aluminium
• strength
• composite
• yield strength
• void
• densification
• die casting
• metal foam