Low-velocity impact response of A356/SiCp composite foam

Metallic foams are used widely in the automotive and aerospace industries due to high strength to weight ratio and high energy absorption capacity. Knowledge of the mechanical behavior of these materials, especially under dynamic loadings, is thus necessary. In this paper, the impact response of A356 aluminum foams reinforced by SiC particles was studied. Predicted numerically results, which are obtained from the simulation of impact behavior at the foam material, were compared and validated with the experimental measurements. For determination of the material parameters in Deshpande-Fleck constitutive model, the uniaxial compression test data have been used. The FEM results showed that the changes in load with time are in a good agreement with the impact experiment. The numerical model can predict accurately the plateau load, the impact time, the energy absorbed by foam and the failure mode of the material. The energy balance diagram and convergence test confirm the simulation. Considering that the simulation of porous and composite material behavior is faced with numerous challenges, this work presents effective ways to solve them. Regarding the lack of numerical and experimental results on the impact behavior of A356/SiCp foam, the obtained results can be used to develop advanced composite materials.