Reinforced Matrix Syntactic Foams Filled with Ceramic Hollow Spheres

Abstract

Metal matrix syntactic foams are cellular materials in which the matrix is metal and within that matrix are non-metallic cells formed by filler material. These materials have low density, and besides that, they have high compressive strength and energy absorption. The main goal was to improve these properties by reinforcing the matrix with ceramic grains. During the experiment, molten A356 aluminium (7Si-0,3Mg) was infiltrated between the mixture of the filler and the reinforcement material. The specimens were produced with low-pressure infiltration. Different reinforcement materials were used: aluminium-oxide with three different grain sizes and colour designations and one type of silicon carbide. After heat-treatment, standardised compression tests were executed on the specimens. The results were compared to the results of the non-reinforced samples.