MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF ALUMINUM FOAM-POLYMER MULTIFUNCTIONAL HYBRID MATERIALS

A hybrid material consisting of an interpenetrating phase composite of aluminum foam and thermoplastic polymer was made and tested for its basic tensile mechanical properties. The material was made by injection molding a polymer (two polypropylenes and an acetal were used) through a Duocell aluminum foam (10% relative density and 10, 20 and 40 pores per inch linear densities). The material is referred to as an Aluminum Foam Polymer Composite (AFPC) and involves the aluminum foam and the polymer occupying the same volume. The continuous, interconnected morphologies of the two phases (aluminum foam and polymer) sets this type of material apart from regular composites. The AFPC exhibited an increase in stiffness, a reduction in strength and less ductility than the parent polymer. A basic mathematical model and a discussion of the physics were used to shed some light on the behavior of this material.