Symmetry effects and their influence on the mechanical behavior of open and closed cell Al foams

Metal foams are attractive in a number of industrial applications due to their light structures whereas a reduction of weight is a main factor for saving energy. Symmetry is very important in analytical modeling as symmetrical conditions simplify considerably the analysis. This technique is practical to use for large engineering structures where mechanical evaluations by approximate methods consume considerable computer time. In the current analysis a 3D symmetrical model is considered for the determination of mechanical properties of open-cell Al foams under compression load. The model consists of a unit cubic cell and produces good results compared to experimental and theoretical values for a long range of cell sizes. It is solved by the finite element method using CATIA program. Finally, it is verified that symmetry can be used successfully for mechanical property evaluation of open-cell Al foams with cell sizes of range 0.5–3 mm and relative densities of range 0.05–0.11.