Closed cell aluminium foam has been examined with respect to crash protection systems, stiff and strong light weight structures and sound absorbing panels / enclosures for use in automotive systems. Monotonic compression tests revealed that the crash box made from aluminium foam-filled steel tube showed twice the energy absorption compared to empty crash box. Flexural studies on foam-filled thin walled aluminium extruded section showed higher resistance to bending (7.5 kN) against empty Al-section (5.8 kN). Differences in the mechanisms of deformation between foam filled sections and their empty counterparts were studied in compression and bend loading conditions. Acoustic behaviour was evaluated in the as-received foam and in foams post processed to increase cell interconnectivity. High sound absorption coefficients were observed in most conditions. The optimum combination of high sound absorption coefficient and frequency range occurred in a crushed foam with good cell interconnectivity.
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