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Interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs), in which each phase forms a 3-dimentionally interconnected network, show a new class of reinforcement morphology. In this study, syntactic foams, which are made of hollow glass microspheres embedded in a polymer matrix, are reinforced with open-cellular porous aluminum foams. Both deformation behavior and a strengthening mechanism of the syntactic foam/aluminum foam IPCs (SF/AF IPCs) are investigated with the help of an X-ray Computed Tomography (X-ray CT). Deformation behavior of the aluminum foam in the SF/AF IPC during compressive deformation is observed by the X-ray CT. The von-Mises stress distribution in the aluminum foam under compression was simulated by a finite element method for both the aluminum foam alone and the SF/AF IPC. High von-Mises stresses are detected in a layer with a relatively higher porosity of aluminum foam alone. Cell edges in the aluminum foam of the SF/AF IPC are fractured in the perpendicular direction to the compressive direction.

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