A Study on the Design and Mechanical Adhesion of Polymer Foam-Metal Joints

The design of metal-polymer foam adhesion and load transfer characteristics is carried out in this research work. The metal inserts are used as the load transfer component, while the foam is used as the structural element of the system. The inserts are embedded in the foam during the foaming process. Flexural testing was conducted on different metal foam configurations to establish the typical interaction trends. The load-deflection response and the mode of failure of the structure were documented. Moduli of elasticity of the system for various geometries and embedded lengths were evaluated, and behavior patterns were gleaned. Rectangular, circular, and triangular (taper-/wedgelike) inserts were used. Results show that simple taper inserts embedded in foam slabs perform better than the other shapes. Finite element analyses of the interaction under different loads were carried out. The modeling results coincided with the experimental ones hence validating the model.