Experimental investigation of interaction effects in foam-filled thin-walled aluminum tubes

Abstract

The interaction coefficients of polystyrene foam filling of thin-walled aluminum cylindrical tubes were investigated experimentally through compression testing of partially foam-filled tubes with and without adhesive. The experimental load-displacement curves and observation of the crushed sections of filled tubes have shown that partial foam filling reduced the fold length and hence increased the average crushing loads of tubes, proving the interaction effect between tube wall and filler. The interaction coefficients for the partial foam filling were further calculated to be in the level and/or higher than that of the foam plateau load of transverse direction.

Characteristics of aluminium metal foam for automotive applications

“…Foams give a compressive resistance force to the encroaching wall element and retard the fold formation [6][7][8]. This leads to the initiation of the next fold at shorter displacement.…”

“…Traditional crash boxes are made of metallic steel tubes, which absorb the kinetic energy of impact by undergoing plastic deformation in localized regions depending on the magnitude of the impact force [4]. The deformation of a crash box takes place broadly in two basic forms namely concertina and diamond type, the former considered preferable in terms of energy absorption [3,[5][6][7][8]. Some times there could be a mixed mode failure as well.…”

“…Incorporation of low density metallic foam inside these metallic tubes enhances the energy absorption characteristics of the crash box [5]. The higher crush resistance of foam Keywords: aluminium foam; light weight structure; sound absorption; crash box, flexure beams; energy absorption filled tube has been attributed to the intrusion of the wall material into the foam filler which resists the deformation resulting in enhanced deformation strength and energy absorption [6]. From application point of view, it is advantageous to use steel column due to easier integration with steel chassis.…”

The mechanical behavior of thin-walled tube filled with hollow metal spheres

“…With the development of technology and science, all kinds of new foam material are frequently developed. Many researches about new refilled material have been carried out by scholars [2][3][4][5][6]. However, the current experiments and studies about it are mainly focused on several limited materials, like aluminum foam [7][8][9], polyurethane foam and so on.…”

Effects of Pre-Forming Process and PVC Foam Reinforcement on the Deformation Behavior of Aluminum Tube under Axial Loading

“…Decreasing damage in the course of a crash and precautions taken to control the deformation are essential to maximize the absorbed energy. Thin-walled tubes made of aluminum alloys of high specific strength have been widely investigated in literature [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] for determining their crush behavior under axial loading. These alloys are known to have relatively high specific strength and are therefore chosen for applications involving impact loading.…”