Tube enhanced foam: A novel way for aluminum foam enhancement

Aluminum foam was limited when applied as load carrying structures for its lower strength. Therefore, an effective enhancement method of aluminum foam was reported in the present study by filling of 304 stainless steel tube into a pre-perforated hole and fixed by epoxy glue. The experimental results indicate that the novel tube enhanced foam (with equivalent density of foam) can doubled the specific compressive strength and energy absorption of that of aluminum foam, and even larger than that of the sum of tube and foam which were tested separately. The coupling strengthening mechanisms are suggested to be the instability limitation of steel tube due to the lateral supports (external and internal) supplied by aluminum foam.