REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

www.mod.gov.rs

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

Material Resources Sector

Defensive Technologies Department

Military Technical Institute

www.vti.mod.gov.rs

Advanced aluminum foam materials for DEFENSE applications

SANDOR BEKE, Phd.^*

Aluinvent Zrt., Miskolc – Hungary, sandor.beke@aluinvent.com

Gyorgy szamel

Aluinvent Zrt., Miskolc – Hungary, gyorgy.szamel@aluinvent.com

ISTVAN KASZAB

Aluinvent Zrt., Miskolc – Hungary, kaszab.istvan@aluinvent.com

Bela turai

Dekrasys-Vorins d.o.o., Novi Sad – Serbia, bela.turai@vorins.co.rs

Abstract: Increasing performance of projectiles and explosives calls for the continuous efficiency improvement of armour protective systems, while weight reduction also plays a key role in different aspects such as mobility and maneuverability of the protected objects. High-performance ballistic protection systems are usually composed of different layers of materials where each layer provides a specific role in the attenuation of projectile energy. The application of aluminum foam is expected to improve significantly the energy absorption against an impactor. It is widely understood that foamed aluminum materials have unique characteristics which makes them applicable in various special applications. These cellular materials are in the focus of researchers since several decades. Different production techniques and foam types exist but their use depends on their properties, homogeneity and the production costs. Aluinvent developed a foaming method by which aluminum foam properties can be adjusted. Mechanical properties of produced foams were determined as a function of cell structure and density. The results indicate that the wide adjustable range of structure, density and energy absorption capability along with appropriate homogeneity and good specific strength values make Aluinvent aluminum foams are promising candidates to be considered as structural elements of improved ballistic shielding and blast mitigation systems.

Keywords: aluminum foam, cellular structure, characterization, ballistic shielding, blast mitigation.