The effect of structural defects on the compressive behavior of closed-cell Al foam

A simple experimental approach is attempted for this research. First, various size specimens of the closed-cell Al foam, ALPORAS of Shinko Wire Co. Ltd., from 50 × 50 × 50 mm^3 to 8 × 8 × 8 mm^3 are fabricated using an electrical discharge machine for the uniaxial compression test. Second, structural defects such as partially coupled cells, missing cells and collapsed cells in fabricated specimens are carefully investigated by means of density measurement and surface observation. Then, the specimens are divided into two groups with or without structural defects and tested separately to compare the results. In this research, we present the effects of structural defects as well as specimen size on the compressive behavior of this Al foam.