Fabrication and Tensile Property of Sandwich Panel with ADC12 Foam Core by Friction Stir Processing Route

Abstract

An aluminum foam sandwich, which consists of an aluminum foam core and two dense metallic face sheets, is a lightweight structural component with good energy and vibration absorption properties. In this study, using aluminum alloy die casting ADC12 plates containing large amount of gases, sandwich panels with metallurgical bonding between ADC12 aluminum foam core and dense aluminum sheets, of which the thickness was 3 mm and 1 mm, were fabricated by friction stir processing route. Through the observations of the dense sheets and the pore structure of aluminum foam core, the foaming condition for obtaining high porosity and good pore structure, and keeping a dense aluminum plate as surface plate simultaneously was discussed. Moreover, tensile tests were carried out on the fabricated aluminum foam sandwiches and it was shown that the bonding strength of interface is higher than the tensile strength of aluminum foam core.

Fabrication of Aluminum Foam Core Sandwich Using Sandwich-Type Foamable Precursor with Two Face Sheets by Friction Stir Welding Route

“…Moreover, using this fabrication method, we succeeded in fabricating an AFS comprising an A1050 Al foam core and SPCC low-carbon steel face sheets 9,10) and an AFS comprising an ADC12 Al alloy foam core and dense Al face sheets. 11,12) In the fabrication of the AFS, a foaming process, in which two foamable precursors with one face sheet placed face to face in a die are heated and the Al foam core is formed by bonding two foaming precursors, has been used. However, in the Al foam core fabricated using this foaming process, insufficiently bonded regions such as cracklike pores sometimes appeared owing to the existence of an oxide film.…”