Mechanical properties of foamed alumina cements

Based on a cell-wall-bending model, it is found that the mechanical properties of foamed cements depend on relative density, cell geometry and the modulus of rupture of solid cell walls. A series of mechanical testing on foamed alumina cements with various relative densities were conducted to obtain their elastic modulus, strength, fracture toughness and fatigue life. Experimental results are compared to theoretical modeling. Results suggest that the theoretical expressions of dosed-cell foams are valid to describe the mechanical properties of foamed alumina cement. At the same time, the microstructure coefficients included in the theoretical expressions for describing the mechanical properties of foamed alumina cement are determined.