Energy Absorption of Thin-Walled Circular Tube Filled with Syntactic Epoxy Foam Subjected to Axial Compression

Abstract

The characteristics of absorbed energy for thin-walled circular tubes filled with syntactic epoxy foams subjected to axial compression were investigated in order to develop light weight impact-energy-absorbing structural components. The syntactic epoxy foams with a high volume fraction of micro-balloons were manufactured and used as core materials filling aluminum alloy tubes. Static and dynamic compressive tests of the tube filled with foam suggested that the foam led to higher energy absorption.