Aluminum Foam Structures and Compressive Properties Produced from Multiple and Differently Arranged Precursors

Seksak Asavavisithchai; Supasiri Trepetch; Chonlatid Sutisakomon

doi:10.3139/120.110657

Article

Aluminum Foam Structures and Compressive Properties Produced from Multiple and Differently Arranged Precursors

Seksak Asavavisithchai , Supasiri Trepetch and Chonlatid Sutisakomon

Published/Copyright: November 20, 2014

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From the journal Materials Testing Volume 56 Issue 11-12

Abstract

Large closed cell aluminum foam components, produced through a powder metallurgical route, normally need multiple foamable precursors. The larger the size of components, the more precursors are required. The placement of precursors in the mold prior to sintering is important for a successful foaming. The present study shows that the initial precursor arrangement has a significant effect on the final foam structure and its mechanical properties. The largest foam expansion, close to the geometry of the mold, with more uniform pore distribution was found in the foam with the arrangement of four precursors, which were placed horizontally at the bottom of the mold in two layers. This was due to the delayed foam collapse as a result of the different onsets of individual precursor expansion. The difference in heat conduction of distinct precursor positions resulted in different cellular structural characteristics which strongly affect compressive behavior of the Al foams.

Kurzfassung

Große Aluminiumschaumkomponenten mit geschlossener Zellstruktur, die mittels Pulvermetallurgie hergestellt worden sind, benötigen normalerweise mehrere Schaumprecursoren. Je größer die Komponenten sind, desto größer ist auch die erforderliche Anzahl der Precursoren. Die Anordnung der Precursoren vor dem Sintern ist für ein erfolgreiches Schäumen wichtig. Die diesem Beitrag zugrunde liegende Studie hat gezeigt, dass die initiale Anordnung der Precursoren einen entscheidenden Einfluss auf die finale Schaumstruktur und dessen mechanische Eigenschaften hat. Die größte Schaumausdehnung, in die Formgeometrie gedrängt mit einer einheitlicheren Porenverteilung, wurde in dem Schaum ermittelt, der durch eine horizontale Anordnung von vier Precursoren am Formboden in zwei Lagen hergestellt wurde. Dies ergab sich, aufgrund des verzögerten Schaumkollaps, der aus den unterschiedlichen Ausdehnungseinsätzen der individuellen Vorprodukte resultierte. Der Unterschied der Wärmeleitung bei bestimmten Precursor-Positionen ergab unterschiedliche Zellstruktureigenschaften, die das Kompressionsverhalten der Al-Schäume erheblich beeinflussen.

Keywords: Materials testing; aluminum foam; powder metallurgy; multiple precursors; structure

*Correspondence Address, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Seksak Asavavisithchai, Department of Metallurgical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Phyathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. E-mail: asavavis@hotmail.com

Dr. Seksak Asavavisithchai is Associate Professor in the Innovative Metals Research Unit, Department of Metallurgical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. He received his PhD from the University of Nottingham, UK, in the field of materials design and engineering. His research interests are metallic foams, powder metallurgy, metal matrix composite (MMC) and failure analysis.

Supasiri Trepetch and Chonlatid Sutisakomon were undergraduate students at the Department of Metallurgical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand.

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Published Online: 2014-11-20

Published in Print: 2014-11-17

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.3139/120.110657

Keywords for this article

Materials testing; aluminum foam; powder metallurgy; multiple precursors; structure