Mechanical behavior of a cellular composite under quasi-static, static, and cyclic compression loading

The quasi-static, static, and cyclic compressive behavior of a novel epoxy matrix cellular composite reinforced with glass foam granules is investigated. Three different grain-size fractions of the granules are used: 0.5–1, 1–2, and 2–4 mm. The density of the cellular composite varies between 0.65 and 0.82 g/cm3. The material exhibits high specific compressive strength and stiffness within the class of cellular materials; these properties can be varied using appropriate size of granules. The glass foam granules increase the stiffness of the cellular composite compared to neat epoxy foam with the same weight. The measured elastic properties are in good agreement with results obtained from analytical and numerical homogenization methods. The fatigue behavior is determined in static tests and in cyclic tests at 1 and 20 Hz on one type of cellular composite. The fatigue process for cyclic loading is a result of an interaction between static and cyclic damage. The sensitivity to static damage is found to be higher than to cyclic damage. The damage behavior is investigated by evaluation specimen’s stiffness and using scanning electron microscopy.