Characterisation of the flexural behaviour of Aluminium Foam Sandwich Structures

Aluminium foam has a range of properties that are desirable in many applications. These properties include good stiffness and strength to weight ratios, impact energy absorption, sound damping, thermal insulation and non combustibility. Many of these characteristics are particularly attractive for core materials within sandwich structures. The combination of aluminium foam cores with thermoplastic composite skins is easily manufactured and has good potential as a multifunctional sandwich structure useful in a range of applications. This thesis has investigated the flexural behaviour of such structures using a combination of experimental and modelling techniques. The development of these structures towards commercial use requires a thorough understanding of the deformation and strain mechanisms of the structure, and this will, in turn, allow predictions of their structural behaviour in a variety of loading conditions. ¶ ..