Mechanical characterization of the role of defects in sintered FeCrAlY foams

Open celled metal foams fabricated through metal sintering are a new class of material that offers novel mechanical and acoustic properties. Previously, polymer foams have been widely used as a means of absorbing acoustic energy. However, the structural applications of these foams are limited. The metal sintering approach offers a cost- effective means for the mass-production of open-cell foams from a range of materials, including high-temperature steel alloys. In this first part of two-paper series, the mechanical properties of open-celled steel alloy (FeCrAlY) foams were characterized under uniaxial compression and shear loading. Compared to predictions from established models, a significant knockdown in material properties was observed. This knockdown was attributed to the presence of defects throughout the microstructure that result from the unique fabrication process. Further in situ tests were carried out in a SEM (scanning electronic microscope) in order to investigate the effects of defects on the properties of the foams. Typically, the onset of plastic yielding was observed to occur at defect locations within the microstructure. At lower relative densities, ligament bending dominates, with the deformation initializing at defects. At higher relative densities, an additional deformation mechanism associated with membrane elements was observed. In the follow-up of this paper, a finite element model will be constructed to quantify the effects of defects on the mechanical performance of the open-cell foam.