Effects of paraffin on the dynamic and static mechanical properties of aluminum foam phase change composites

• The static and dynamic mechanical properties of aluminum foams and composite foams were investigated experimentally and numerically. • Property of the composite is higher than that of aluminum foam under dynamic condition when foam density exceeds 0.5 g/cm 3 . • The paraffin enhanced strain rate sensitivity and reduced the influence of foam density on the composite foam performance. • The finite element model of composites can predict the properties of aluminum foam phase change composites. Aluminum foam phase change composites, produced by infusing closed-cell aluminum foams with phase change materials such as paraffin and capable of preventing paraffin from flowing out after melting, are promising for applications requiring both impact resistance and efficient heat dissipation. In this study, the static and dynamic mechanical properties of composite foams and aluminum foams were studied experimentally and numerically based on Kelvin tetradecahedron structures. For the aluminum foam with a density of 0.5 g/cm 3 , the mechanical properties of the composites exhibited a slight decrease under quasi-static compression but improved around 30 % under dynamic loading at 5 m/s, which is primarily attributed to the paraffin extrusion under static loading and its synergistic compression with the foam at higher strain rates. The addition of paraffin enhanced strain rate sensitivity and reduced the influence of foam density on composite performance. The numerical analysis showed the plateau stress of the composite foam, compared to pure aluminum foam, decreased from 6.89 MPa to 6.11 MPa under quasi-static conditions and increased from 10.46 MPa to 13.65 MPa under dynamic compression, are consistent with experimental results. These findings provide valuable guidance for designing lightweight, energy-absorbing, and thermally conductive materials for advanced applications.