Axial Impact Performances of Composite Aluminum Foam Tubes

Abstract

An improved melt foaming method is employed to fabricate composite aluminum foam tubes (CAFTs) with varying diameter ratios, achieving metallurgical bonding between the aluminum foam and aluminum tubes. Based on the structural characteristics of aluminum foam‐filled tubes and traditional numerical formula for calculating the energy absorption properties of metal foams, a new calculation formula is proposed to accurately evaluate energy absorption performance of CAFTs under axial load, enabling more precise numerical calculation of total energy absorption. Furthermore, drop weight impact tests and finite element simulations are conducted to investigate the axial impact performance and deformation mechanism of CAFTs. The influence of diameter ratio on crashworthiness and energy absorption performance is also analyzed. As the diameter ratios decrease, both the impact resistance and total energy absorption of CAFTs increase, while the degree of tube damage gradually decreases. Moreover, finite element simulation results demonstrate that metallurgical combination between aluminum foam and aluminum tubes effectively transfers stress to thin‐walled tubes with better load‐bearing performance, preventing concentrated collapse of aluminum foam core. Additionally, the presence of aluminum foam provides robust restraint against deformation or rupture in thin‐walled tubes.