2025 - Sustainable Industrial Processing Summit
SIPS2025 Volume 9. Intl. Symp on Advanced Materials, Biomaterials, Manufacturing and Quasi-Crystals
| Editors: | F. Kongoli, F. Marquis, N. Chikhradze, T. Prikhna, M. Bechelany, H. Oudadesse, K. Pramanik, R. Das, E. Suhir |
| Publisher: | Flogen Star OUTREACH |
| Publication Year: | 2025 |
| Pages: | 282 pages |
| ISBN: | 978-1-998384-54-9 (CD) |
| ISSN: | 2291-1227 (Metals and Materials Processing in a Clean Environment Series) |
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INVESTIGATION OF FATIGUE CHARACTERISTICS IN CARBON NANOTUBE REINFORCED CLOSED-CELL ALUMINUM FOAMS
Sanjeev Khanna1; Rupesh Devapati1;1UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI, Columbia, United States;
Type of Paper: Regular
Id Paper: 208
Topic: 43
Abstract:
Closed-cell aluminum foams are increasingly gaining attention as lightweight structural materials due to their excellent energy absorption capabilities, low density, and favorable strength-to-weight ratio. However, their endurance under cyclic loading conditions (fatigue behavior) is yet to be fully understood [1], which is a critical limitation to make them relevant to aerospace, automotive, and structural applications. To address this challenge, our research explores the mechanical enhancement of closed-cell aluminum foams through carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforcement, focusing particularly on their fatigue life and failure mechanisms.
The primary objective of this study is to evaluate how CNT integration affects the fatigue performance of aluminum foams under varying stress amplitudes and cyclic loading conditions. The potential of reinforcements to improve the mechanical properties of closed cell Aluminum foam under high strain rate loading conditions has been documented in our previous studies [2, 3], this motivated us to investigate local stiffness, crack propagation, and redistribution of stress at the cell wallsunder fatigue loading in the presence of CNT reinforcement. This work aims not only to extend the operational life of foams but also to understand the underlying reinforcement mechanisms at both the macroscopic and microscopic levels.
Fatigue testing are being conducted on both unreinforced and CNT-reinforced foam specimens using a servo-hydraulic MTS testing system under load-controlled conditions. Foam specimens with a relative density of ~0.30 +/- 5% are fabricated via liquid metallurgy route, with 0.5wt% CNTs uniformly dispersed into the aluminum matrix through mechanical stirring. The specimens are subjected to high-cycle fatigue (HCF) regimes, with stress ratio of R = 0.1 as is commonly used in other studies and at a frequency of 1 Hz, mimicking service-level loads. In addition, microscopic evaluations are being carried out using micro-CT to investigate the internal pore structure, deformation patterns and crack initiation and propagation patterns. Results of fatigue life curve of CNT reinforced aluminum foam will be presented along with deformation and failure mechanisms.