Shock Wave Effect on Aluminium Foam

The behaviour of aluminium foam under impact loading conditions and especially the shock wave propagation are still not well understood. The shock wave propagation through the cellular material structure under impact loading conditions has a significant effect on its deformation mechanism and therefore it is imperative to understand its effects thoroughly. The goal of this research was to investigate and examine the effects of shock wave propagation on aluminium foam. Additionally, the material and structural properties of pore- filled aluminium foam under impact loading conditions with particular interest in shock wave propagation and its effects on cellular material deformation have been studied. For this purpose experimental tests and explicit computational simulations of aluminium foam specimens inside a water tank subjected to explosive charge have been performed. Comparison of the results shows a good correlation between the experimental and simulation results.