Compression behavior of ex-situ PVC foam-filled tubes

Abstract The present work investigates the mechanical characteristics of tubes filled with Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) foam. The tubes used are made of aluminum and were filled ex-situ. Static compression tests were performed on both axially (AL) and laterally (LL) loaded tubes. Comparisons between foam-filled (FFT) and empty (ET) tubes are presented, highlighting the foam-tube interaction effect. The emphasis is on elastic, strength and strain properties, but energy absorption performances are not neglected. Discussions regarding the failure mechanisms of ETs and FFTs are also presented. It was obtained that, regardless of the loading direction, FFTs show clearly superior mechanical properties to ETs. At the same weight, the specimens tested axially support higher loads than those tested laterally. This aspect is due to deformation mechanisms that take place in the samples during the tests. It was noted that the compressive strength is more affected by the filling than by the compressive modulus. Under lateral loads, the ETs samples fail quasi-brittle through complete failure of the tube, while in the case of FFTs, a ductile fracture with stable deformation of the sample is obtained.