Probing the yield surface of lightweight solid foams via biaxial and triaxial experiments

Current work describes and discusses the results from a unique experimental setup called Multi-Axial Testing Apparatus (MATA) that has been developed to probe the yield surface of cellular solids under both biaxial and triaxial stress paths. As a case study, yield surface of Divinycell H100 foam has been probed in its plane of anisotropy by using the MATA. Extensive experimental results that define the yield surface have been reported and also compared to the predictions from an energy-based yield criterion that we have recently proposed for transversely anisotropic solid foams. An excellent match between experimental data points and model predictions is observed and it is concluded that total strain energy density is the driving force of yielding in solid foams.