Crushability maps for structural polymeric foams in uniaxial loading under rigid confinement

A family of epoxy-based polymeric foams with various initial porosity levels was subjected to quasi-static uniaxial loading in rigid confinement (uniaxial strain) to investigate their crushability characteristics. Two issues were investigated. The first issue was the uniformity of deformation in a specimen as a function of porosity level by creating a grid of equally spaced thin stripes on the surface and by monitoring their pattern during the experiment. It was found that the higher the porosity of foam, the more non-uniform the deformation in the specimen. However, the localized non-uniform deformation did not affect the global stress-strain response, especially at large deformations. The second issue was the development of a new analysis tool, called crushability map . The purpose of the tool is to depict the evolution of porosity, bulk density and energy absorption as functions of applied strain, stress, and porosity. These maps can assist in characterizing the residual crushability or energy absorption capability of foams as a function of residual porosity. The maps can be used as a design tool for selection of suitable foams for a given application in conjunction with various design criteria. © 2004 Society for Experimental Mechanics