Fabrication and Mechanical Properties of Interpenetrating Porous Al-based Composites with Hollow-strut Lattice Structures

doi:10.11901/1005.3093.2025.352

Chinese Journal of Materials Research

2026, Vol. 40

Issue (8): 605-612 DOI: 10.11901/1005.3093.2025.352

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Fabrication and Mechanical Properties of Interpenetrating Porous Al-based Composites with Hollow-strut Lattice Structures

LI Jiawen¹, YU Wei¹(

), WANG Peng¹, ZHUANG Yin¹, BAI Yu¹^,², HAO Hai¹^,²(

)

^1.Key Laboratory of Solidification Control and Digital Preparation Technology (Liaoning Province), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
^2.Ningbo Research Institute of Dalian University of Technology, Ningbo 315016, China

Cite this article:

LI Jiawen, YU Wei, WANG Peng, ZHUANG Yin, BAI Yu, HAO Hai. Fabrication and Mechanical Properties of Interpenetrating Porous Al-based Composites with Hollow-strut Lattice Structures. Chinese Journal of Materials Research, 2026, 40(8): 605-612.

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Abstract

Porous aluminum is widely used in protective structures due to its advantages such as lightweight, having high energy absorption efficiency, and multi-functionality. However, the increasingly stringent service requirements for lightweight materials in engineering structures have highlighted the limitations of traditional porous aluminum, necessitating the development of new high-performance composite structures. To address this issue, Herein, a novel interpenetrating phase Al-based composites (IPCs), which ingeniously integrate ordered lattice structures with hollow struts and disordered Al-foam. The composites were fabricated using a conventional infiltration casting process, ensuring simplicity and practicality for engineering applications. Three distinct lattice structures with varying mechanical characteristics were selected as the reinforcing phase, leading to the design and preparation of three composite configurations. A comprehensive evaluation of their mechanical performance and deformation mechanisms was conducted through quasi-static compression tests. The results demonstrate that the composites successfully integrate the advantages of both the ordered lattice and the disordered foam. It maintains the characteristics of being lightweight and exhibits a stable stress response, while simultaneously significantly enhancing the macroscopic compressive strength and energy absorption capacity. Specifically, compared to the sum of the mechanical properties of its individual constituents, the proposed composite achieves a maximum increase of 58.90% in compressive strength and a remarkable maximum enhancement of 287.67% in energy absorption, indicating a pronounced synergistic effect. In summary, the developed Al-based IPCs with hollow struts not only features a simple and potentially scalable preparation process but also achieves an excellent combination of strength and toughness while maintaining low density, providing a new design strategy and a viable technical pathway for the development of next-generation high-performance lightweight protective materials.

Key words: metal matrix composites Al-matrix interpenetrating porous composites compressive properties lattice structure

Received: 27 November 2025

ZTFLH:

TG244

Fund: National Natural Science Foundation of China(52171030);National Natural Science Foundation of China Youth Program(52504403)

Corresponding Authors: YU Wei, Tel: 18840041956, E-mail: yw@dlut.edu.cn;
HAO Hai, Tel: (0411)84709458, E-mail: haohai@dlut.edu.cn

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	LI Jiawen
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https://www.cjmr.org/EN/10.11901/1005.3093.2025.352 OR https://www.cjmr.org/EN/Y2026/V40/I8/605

Fig.1 Fabrication process and structural design strategy for the lattice structures and interpenetrating phase composites (a) ordered porous aluminum, (b) interpenetrating phase composites

Fig.2 Three-dimensional reconstruction of the aluminum interpenetrating phase composites (a) IPC, (b) cross-sectional views at different positions of IPCs, (c) internal hollow strut of IPCs

Fig.3 Deformation modes of the three interpenetrating phase composites and the disordered aluminum foam under quasi-static compressive loading

Fig.4 Stress-strain curves of the IPCs, aluminum foam, and ordered porous aluminum (a) stress-strain curves of all samples, (b) stress-strain curves of ordered porous aluminum samples

Fig.5 Mechanical properties of the IPCs, aluminum foam, and ordered porous aluminum (a) compressive strength and specific compressive strength, (b) elastic modulus, (c) plateau stress, (d) energy absorption and specific energy absorption

Fig.6 Microstructural morphology and corresponding elemental distribution maps across the ZL111/Al foam interface (a) 10 μm scale, (b) 5 μm scale

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