Image Based Simulation of Large Strain Deformation of Open Celled Foams

Open celled foams are used in many industrial applications and are commonly found in natural biological structures. Analytical models and experimental tests have been carried out by a number of materials scientists to gain an understanding of the influence the parent material properties and the architecture of the foam have on the resultant foam effective properties. Generally, computational modeling offers the prospect of providing a deeper understanding than experimental tests. Computational modeling tends to provide realistic results with a clear sense of comprehending the systematic mechanisms governing the foam behavior. However, difficulties are encountered when meshing the complex topologies of actual foams. With the advancement in computed tomography scanning and 3D image processing, these barriers have been overcome to generate high fidelity 3D models of complex foam microstructures. In the present study, an image based meshing approach is used to obtain geometrically and topologically accurate finite element meshes of open celled foams based on 3D imaging data. The finite element models were used in an explicit general purpose code to characterize the quasistatic and dynamic stress/strain behavior of foams under various compression velocities for both linear elastic and elastoplastic parent material properties from small strains to strains well into the densification regime. Both end-plate contacts and general foam-to-foam contact of the cell walls with sliding effects were considered.