Three-Point Bending Fatigue Behavior of Aluminum Foam Sandwich Panels with Different Density Core Material

The monotonic and fatigue strength of adhesively bonded aluminum foam sandwich panels with different densities of core aluminum foam (0.3 g/cm(3), 0.4 g/cm(3), 0.6 g/cm(3)) were investigated in three-point bending tests to study the flexural fatigue behavior of aluminum foam sandwich panels. The force cycle curves, deflection curves, and hysteretic curves are presented to describe the fatigue process of aluminum foam sandwich panels. Their fatigue fracture modes are completely different, the failure modes of the low-density cores (0.3 g/cm(3), 0.4 g/cm(3)) are debonding and face fatigue, whereas the failure mode of the high-density core (0.6 g/cm(3)) is face fatigue without debonding. The reason is that high-density aluminum foam cores with lower porosity have a larger joining face, which can also provide higher strength and lead to a longer fatigue life.