Study of a highly porous composite material based on an aluminum matrix with an ordered cellular structure formed by hollow copper-graphite spherical granules

The structure and properties of a highly porous cellular composite material based on a framework of hollow spherical granules with a thin copper-graphite coating impregnated with an aluminum alloy have been investigated. Highly porous composite composite casting with molten form, filled with expanded polystyrene spherical granules with a thin copper-graphite layer applied to their surface. When the polymer core of the granules burns out in the casting, a highly porous cellular composite material is formed with an aluminum matrix filled with spherical pores ∅ 4 – 8 mm, adjoining the metal matrices through a thin (300 – 500 μm) copper shell. The density of the porous composite material obtained in this way is 1.67 g/cm3. In order to fill the space between the granules with aluminum melt, their surfaces were coated with a thin layer of titanium, molybdenum, or chromium borides, which positively affected the strength characteristics of the composite material as a whole. Estimated calculation of the shock absorber index of a new highly porous structural material based on aluminum matrices with a cellular structure made of spherical hollow granules regularly distributed over the volume proved the prospects of its subsequent use as an absorber of shock energy in shock-absorbing devices.