Abstract
In this study, a three-layered functionally graded porous ADC12 aluminum alloy with different pore structures was fabricated by varying the amount of blowing agent added and amount of gases in ADC12 aluminum alloy die castings as starting materials. From X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT) observations of the pore structures of the fabricated three-layered functionally graded porous ADC12 aluminum alloy, it was found that the fabricated porous aluminum alloy had three layers, namely layer A (high porosity and large pore diameter), layer B (middle porosity and small pore diameter), and layer C (low porosity and small pore diameter). The deformation of the fabricated three-layered functionally graded porous ADC12 aluminum alloy during compression tests started from the low strength layer A, and thereafter the middle strength layer B and high strength layer C sequentially deformed. The stress-strain curves during compression tests revealed that three plateau regions appeared independently in the three-layered functionally graded porous ADC12 aluminum alloy, and these correspond to the plateau regions appearing in uniform porous aluminum alloy with almost the same pore structure in each layer. The three plateau regions of the three-layered functionally graded porous ADC12 aluminum alloy had almost the same plateau stresses as the corresponding plateau regions of the uniform porous aluminum alloy.
