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A comprehensive investigation on the temperature and strain rate dependent mechanical response of three polymeric syntactic foams for thermoforming and energy absorption applications

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Title: A comprehensive investigation on the temperature and strain rate dependent mechanical response of three polymeric syntactic foams for thermoforming and energy absorption applications
Authors: Chen, Y
Quino, G
Pellegrino, A
Item Type: Journal Article
Abstract: Polymeric syntactic foams (PSF) are a kind of composite material, which consists of a polymer matrix reinforced by hollow thin wall glass micro-spheres. Because of their low density, low moisture absorption, relatively high specific strength and stiffness, PSF are often employed in aerospace and submarine applications in which they are subjected to a wide range of temperature conditions. Due to the temperature sensitivity of the polymer matrix, the physical and mechanical behaviour of PSFs is highly sensitive to temperature variations. Besides, their dynamic response is significantly affected by the strain rate. This research investigates the temperature and strain rate dependence of the mechanical behaviour of polyurethane, epoxy and nylon syntactic foams under compressive and tensile loads. The selected materials have in common that their mechanical characteristics, thermal properties, and dimensional stability make them suitable for both impact engineering and thermoforming applications. The experimental results, acquired over a temperature range from −25 °C to 100 °C at low and high strain rates, reveal a clear interplay between temperature and strain rate effects on the mechanical behaviour of the materials under investigation. This synergy is observed to vary based on both the matrix material and the loading mode. Notably, the rate dependency of polyurethane and nylon syntactic foams is significantly influenced by the testing temperature during compression, while in tension the influence of the temperature on the rate dependency is moderate or negligible. In contrast, the rate dependency of the epoxy syntactic foam remains largely unaffected by the testing temperature. Deformation and failure mechanisms were analysed by examining the failure surface of the tested samples using SEM micrographs.
Issue Date: 1-Jan-2024
Date of Acceptance: 23-Nov-2023
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/108292
DOI: 10.1016/j.polymertesting.2023.108287
ISSN: 0142-9418
Publisher: Elsevier
Journal / Book Title: Polymer Testing
Volume: 130
Copyright Statement: © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Publication Status: Published
Article Number: ARTN 108287
Online Publication Date: 2023-12-03
Appears in Collections:Aeronautics



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