Metal foams are widely used these days and their applications are far reaching from engineering to medical and beyond. This study is aimed at... Show moreMetal foams are widely used these days and their applications are far reaching from engineering to medical and beyond. This study is aimed at characterizing the property of aluminum foam ligaments in terms of their strength and response to loads. The defining characteristic of metal foams is a very high porosity: typically 75– 95% of the volume consists of void spaces which give them high strength to weight ratio. The aluminum foam (Duocell by ERG Aerospace Corp.) that is used in this study is manufactured using the parent material aluminum alloy 6101-T6. Through this work an effort has been made to understand the mechanical properties of aluminum foam ligaments. The elastic modulus was estimated by conducting bending experiments on ligaments. The yield stress was estimated through both bending and tension experiments which are followed by estimation of ultimate tensile stress using tension experiments on ligaments. A comparative study was also done to understand the difference in mechanical properties of ligaments to that of bulk aluminum alloy 6101-T6. This work also laid emphasis on characterization of ligament geometry in order to understand the mechanical properties of material as geometry plays a very crucial role in the mechanical response of ligaments. The elastic modulus of ligaments was estimated as 13.3 GPa. The yield strength from tension experiment was estimated as 140 MPa and the ultimate tensile strength was estimated as 190MPa M.S. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, July 2013 Show less
