Numerical Investigation on Deformation Behavior of Aluminium Foams with in situ Composite Particles

Metal foams are cellular solids with high stiffness, high strength and superior energy absorption capacity. In liquid metallurgy, foams are processed by foaming the molten metal with the addition of foaming agents and stabilized by the presence of particles which also strengthen the cell walls. An analysis of the deformation behaviour of foams in the presence of these stabilizing particles is essential to the mechanism of energy absorption. In the present study, the effect of the particle distribution on the deformation behaviour of the closed-cell aluminium foams was investigated using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) in Abaqus© software. The experimental data were used to model the distribution of particles in the matrix and the foam model. The simulation results were validated with the experimental results. The uniform distribution of particles in the matrix resulted in lower stress concentration and enhanced the mechanical performance of composite material and the metal foam.