The compressive response of a titanium foam at low and high strain rates

Sintered titanium powder and titanium foams of relative density ranging from 0.3 to 0.9 were produced by powder metallurgy routes and tested in uniaxial compression at low, medium and high rates of strain. At all strain rates, the foams deform by plastic collapse of the pores, accompanied by micro-cracking at compressive strains exceeding 0.2. The foams investigated are strain rate sensitive, with both the yield stress and the strain hardening rate increasing with applied strain rate. The strain rate sensitivity is more pronounced for foams of lower relative density.