Incorporation of the Pore Size Variation to Modeling of the Elastic Behavior of Metallic Open-Cell Foams

Abstract

In the present paper we present the approach for modeling of the elastic behavior of open-cell metallic foams concerning non-uniform pore size distribution. This approach combines design of foam structures and numerical simulations of compression tests using finite element method (FEM). In the design stage, Laguerre-Voronoi tessellations (LVT) were performed on several sets of packed spheres with defined variation of radii, bringing about a set of foam structures with porosity ranging from 74 to 98% and different pore size variation quantified by the coefficient of pore volume variation, CV(V), from 0.5 to 2.1. Each structure was numerically subjected to uni-axial compression test along three directions within the elastic region. Basing on the numerical response, the effective Young's modulus, Eeff, was calculated for each structure. It is shown that the Eeff is not only dependent on the porosity but also on the pore size variation.