Enhancement in the Mechanical Properties of Newly Developed Ceramic Reinforced Al-Based Syntactic Foams: Analysis of Microstructure, Mechanical Response, and Energy Absorption Properties

Abstract

Traditional techniques for manufacturing aluminum matrix syntactic foams (AMSFs), such as stir casting and powder metallurgy procedures, may yield undesired pores. There is scope to study the energy absorption characteristics of AMSFs at varying strain rates. Comprehending these characteristics is essential for effectively using these materials in many industrial applications. This study fills the gap by employing a novel method, such as hot compaction, to achieve density close to theoretical calculations. The impact of ceramic particles and volume fraction on AMSFs is studied under uniaxial compression loading at varying strain rates (1-2700 s⁻¹). Also, deformation responses of AMSFs were observed using high-speed imaging for high-strain rate (HRS) tests. The stress–strain response indicates a positive shift in strain during dynamic loading and the maximum energy absorption properties achieved up to 72.34 and 78.92% for low- and high-strain rates, respectively. Further, the matrix failure is contributing to the hardening and deformation behavior at high-strain rates, offering valuable insights into the AMSF performance under different loading situations.