High strain rate compression of cenosphere-pure aluminum syntactic foams

The high strain rate compression behavior of cenosphere–pure aluminum syntactic foams has been studied by comparing it with the results from the quasi-static loading condition. The foams exhibited distinct strain rate sensitivity and the peak strengths increased from ∼45–75 to ∼65–120 MPa; the energy absorption capacity also increased by ∼50–70%. A three-parameter data-fitting equation has been developed to predict the rate-dependent compressive stress at relatively low strains for the syntactic foams.