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Recent Advances in the Mechanical Properties and Microstructural Features of Porous Materials

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Mechanics of Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2025 | Viewed by 13003

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Material Engineering, University of Cagliari, 09124 Cagliari, Italy
Interests: materials science; porous materials; materials durability; weathering phenomena; degradation kinetics models
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Porous materials constitute one of the most rapidly growing research subjects in materials science. They have diverse applications in numerous industrial, mechanical, chemical, environmental, civil engineering and architecture fields as filters, absorbers, fuel cell electrodes, hot gas collectors, engine components, biomaterials applications, piezo-electric materials, thermal and acoustical insulators, and structural aspects.

For many years, researchers have remained focused on the fabrication of dense materials in order to ensure remarkable mechanical properties, stability and durability. However, over time, it has been understood that porosity (pore fraction, shape, size and topology) could be a fundamental characteristic capable of improving material performance.

Due to the far-reaching implications for different areas of science and technology, understanding the relationships between structure and mechanical properties represents an outstanding challenge in the field. With the aim to faciliate current studies and address future ones, the present Special Issue aims at providing a detailed state-of-the-art and research activity concerning the mechanical behavior of porous materials.

Dr. Giorgio Pia
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • porous materials
  • mechanical properties
  • material characterization
  • mechanical behavior of materials
  • nanomaterials
  • materials processing

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 11369 KiB  
Article
Study on Concave Direction Impact Performance of Similar Concave Hexagon Honeycomb Structure
by Guanxiao Zhao, Tao Fu and Jiaxing Li
Materials 2023, 16(8), 3262; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16083262 - 21 Apr 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1726
Abstract
Based on the traditional concave hexagonal honeycomb structure, three kinds of concave hexagonal honeycomb structures were compared. The relative densities of traditional concave hexagonal honeycomb structures and three other classes of concave hexagonal honeycomb structures were derived using the geometric structure. The impact [...] Read more.
Based on the traditional concave hexagonal honeycomb structure, three kinds of concave hexagonal honeycomb structures were compared. The relative densities of traditional concave hexagonal honeycomb structures and three other classes of concave hexagonal honeycomb structures were derived using the geometric structure. The impact critical velocity of the structures was derived by using the 1-D impact theory. The in-plane impact characteristics and deformation modes of three kinds of similar concave hexagonal honeycomb structures in the concave direction at low, medium, and high velocity were analyzed using the finite element software ABAQUS. The results showed that the honeycomb structure of the cells of the three types undergoes two stages: concave hexagons and parallel quadrilaterals, at low velocity. For this reason, there are two stress platforms in the process of strain. With the increase in the velocity, the joints and middle of some cells form a glue-linked structure due to inertia. No excessive parallelogram structure appears, resulting in the blurring or even disappearance of the second stress platform. Finally, effects of different structural parameters on the plateau stress and energy absorption of structures similar to concave hexagons were obtained during low impact. The results provide a powerful reference for the negative Poisson’s ratio honeycomb structure under multi-directional impact. Full article
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12 pages, 14712 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Particle Necks on the Mechanical Properties of Aerogels
by Lorenz Ratke, Ameya Rege and Shivangi Aney
Materials 2023, 16(1), 230; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010230 - 27 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1657
Abstract
Mechanical properties of open-porous materials are often described by constructing a cellular network with beams of constant cross sections as the struts of the cells. Such models have been applied to describe, for example, thermal and mechanical properties of aerogels. However, in many [...] Read more.
Mechanical properties of open-porous materials are often described by constructing a cellular network with beams of constant cross sections as the struts of the cells. Such models have been applied to describe, for example, thermal and mechanical properties of aerogels. However, in many aerogels, the pore walls or the skeletal network is better described as a pearl-necklace, in which the particles making up the network appear as a string of pearls. In this paper, we investigate the effect of neck sizes on the mechanical properties of such pore walls. We present an analytical and a numerical solution by modeling these walls as corrugated beams and study the subsequent deviations from the classical scaling theory. Additionally, a full numerical model of such pearl-necklace-like walls with concave necks of varying sizes are simulated. The results of the numerical model are shown to be in good agreement with those resulting from the computational one. Full article
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16 pages, 20175 KiB  
Article
Microstructure-Based Computational Analysis of Deformation Stages of Rock-like Sandy-Cement Samples in Uniaxial Compression
by Mikhail O. Eremin, Valentina A. Zimina, Aleksey S. Kulkov and Yurii P. Stefanov
Materials 2023, 16(1), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010024 - 21 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1227
Abstract
This work presents a new finite-difference continuum damage mechanics approach for assessment of threshold stresses based on the mechanical response of a representative volume element of a sandy-cement rock-like material. An original experimental study allows validating the mathematical model. A new modification of [...] Read more.
This work presents a new finite-difference continuum damage mechanics approach for assessment of threshold stresses based on the mechanical response of a representative volume element of a sandy-cement rock-like material. An original experimental study allows validating the mathematical model. A new modification of the damage accumulation kinetic equation is proposed. Several approaches based on acoustic emission, instantaneous Poisson’s ratio and reversal point method are employed to determine the threshold stresses. Relying on the numerical modeling of deformation and failure of model samples, the threshold stresses and the deformation stages are determined. The model predicts the crack initiation stress threshold with less than 10% error. The model prediction of the crack damage stress threshold corresponds to the upper boundary of the experimental range. The model predicts the peak stress threshold with less than 0.2% error in comparison with the average experimental peak stress. The results of numerical modeling are shown to correlate well with the available experimental and literature data and sufficiently complement them. Full article
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24 pages, 10568 KiB  
Article
Gas Permeability Evolution of Coal with Inclusions under Triaxial Compression-Lab Testing and Numerical Simulations
by Yufeng Zhao, Heinz Konietzky, Thomas Frühwirt and H.W. Zhou
Materials 2022, 15(23), 8567; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15238567 - 1 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1294
Abstract
Coalbed methane (CBM) exploitation leads to permanent stress redistributions in the coal bodies connected with fracturing processes and permeability changes due to deformation induced internal pore-fracture networks. Gas permeability evolution of coal samples is investigated with a newly developed three-dimensional fluid-mechanical coupled experimental [...] Read more.
Coalbed methane (CBM) exploitation leads to permanent stress redistributions in the coal bodies connected with fracturing processes and permeability changes due to deformation induced internal pore-fracture networks. Gas permeability evolution of coal samples is investigated with a newly developed three-dimensional fluid-mechanical coupled experimental system. X-ray CT is used to investigate the internal structure of the coal samples and delivers the basis to set-up numerical twins. The work focuses on coal samples with inclusions. A novel coupling procedure between two different tools—discontinuum and continuum codes—is established to simulate the permeability evolution. The permeability is related to the crack pattern in general, and crack width in particular. A prediction of permeability is proposed based on fracture distribution and microcrack behavior. The experimental studies validated the coupling approach. Shear fractures cause substantial permeability enhancement. Piecewise relations between permeability and volumetric strain can be used to fit the whole process, where a nonlinear exponential relation is established after the expansion point. The inclusions as important structural characteristics influence this relation significantly. Full article
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17 pages, 3232 KiB  
Article
Biocarbons Obtained from Fennel and Caraway Fruits as Adsorbents of Methyl Red Sodium Salt from Water System
by Aleksandra Bazan-Wozniak, Dorota Paluch, Robert Wolski, Judyta Cielecka-Piontek, Agnieszka Nosal-Wiercińska and Robert Pietrzak
Materials 2022, 15(22), 8177; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15228177 - 17 Nov 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1640
Abstract
The aim of this study was to prepare biocarbons by biomass activation with carbon(IV) oxide. Fennel and caraway fruits were used as the precursors of bioadsorbents. The impact of the precursor type and temperature of activation on the physicochemical properties of the obtained [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to prepare biocarbons by biomass activation with carbon(IV) oxide. Fennel and caraway fruits were used as the precursors of bioadsorbents. The impact of the precursor type and temperature of activation on the physicochemical properties of the obtained biocarbons and their interaction with methyl red sodium salt upon adsorption process have been checked. The obtained bioadsorbents were characterized by determination of-low temperature nitrogen adsorption/desorption, elemental analysis, ash content, Boehm titration, and pH of water extracts. The biocarbons have surface area varying from 233–371 m2/g and basic in nature with acidic/basic oxygen-containing functional groups (3.23–5.08 mmol/g). The adsorption capacity varied from 63 to 141 mg/g. The influence of different parameters, such as the effectiveness of methyl red sodium salt adsorption, was evaluated. The adsorption kinetics was well fitted using a pseudo-second-order model. The Freundlich model best represented the equilibrium data. The amount of adsorbed dye was also found to increase with the increasing temperature of the process. Full article
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10 pages, 3795 KiB  
Article
Effects of the Parent Alloy Microstructure on the Thermal Stability of Nanoporous Au
by Andrea Pinna, Giorgio Pia, Roberta Licheri and Luca Pilia
Materials 2022, 15(19), 6621; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15196621 - 23 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1274
Abstract
Nanoporous (NP) metals represent a unique class of materials with promising properties for a wide set of applications in advanced technology, from catalysis and sensing to lightweight structural materials. However, they typically suffer from low thermal stability, which results in a coarsening behavior [...] Read more.
Nanoporous (NP) metals represent a unique class of materials with promising properties for a wide set of applications in advanced technology, from catalysis and sensing to lightweight structural materials. However, they typically suffer from low thermal stability, which results in a coarsening behavior not yet fully understood. In this work, we focused precisely on the coarsening process undergone by NP Au, starting from the analysis of data available in the literature and addressing specific issues with suitably designed experiments. We observe that annealing more easily induces densification in systems with short characteristic lengths. The NP Au structures obtained by dealloying of mechanically alloyed AuAg precursors exhibit lower thermal stability than several NP Au samples discussed in the literature. Similarly, NP Au samples prepared by annealing the precursor alloy before dealloying display enhanced resistance to coarsening. We suggest that the microstructure of the precursor alloy, and, in particular, the grain size of the metal phases, can significantly affect the thermal stability of the NP metal. Specifically, the smaller the grain size of the parent alloy, the lower the thermal stability. Full article
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7 pages, 1991 KiB  
Communication
Estimation of Nanoporous Au Young’s Modulus from Serial Block Face-SEM 3D-Characterisation
by Michele Brun, Elisa Sogne, Andrea Falqui, Federico Scaglione, Paola Rizzi, Francesco Delogu and Giorgio Pia
Materials 2022, 15(10), 3644; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15103644 - 19 May 2022
Viewed by 1675
Abstract
Nanoporous Au has been subjected to serial block face-scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM) 3D-characterisation. Corresponding sections have been digitalized and used to evaluate the associated mechanical properties. Our investigation demonstrates that the sample is homogeneous and isotropic. The effective Young’s modulus estimated by an [...] Read more.
Nanoporous Au has been subjected to serial block face-scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM) 3D-characterisation. Corresponding sections have been digitalized and used to evaluate the associated mechanical properties. Our investigation demonstrates that the sample is homogeneous and isotropic. The effective Young’s modulus estimated by an analytical multiscale approach agrees remarkably well with the values stated in the literature. Full article
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8 pages, 1400 KiB  
Communication
Hardening of Nanoporous Au Induced by Exposure to Different Gaseous Environments
by Giorgio Pia, Elisa Sogne, Andrea Falqui and Francesco Delogu
Materials 2022, 15(8), 2718; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15082718 - 7 Apr 2022
Viewed by 1424
Abstract
This work focuses on the mechanical behaviour of nanoporous Au samples alternately exposed to ozone and carbon dioxide. Nanoporous Au was fabricated by freely corroding the Ag70Au30 parent alloys prepared by mechanical alloying in the form of powder and subsequently [...] Read more.
This work focuses on the mechanical behaviour of nanoporous Au samples alternately exposed to ozone and carbon dioxide. Nanoporous Au was fabricated by freely corroding the Ag70Au30 parent alloys prepared by mechanical alloying in the form of powder and subsequently compacted by cold pressing. Dealloying was performed in acidic solution, and conditions were suitably adjusted to obtain fine nanoporous Au structures with ligaments about 15 nm thick. Nanoporous Au samples with increasingly thicker ligaments, up to about 40 nm, were fabricated by annealing the pristine nanoporous Au structure for different time intervals at 473 K. For all of the samples, the cyclic variation of gaseous atmosphere results in a macroscopic strain variation due to the occurrence of surface oxidation and reduction processes. We show that the reiterated cyclic exposure to the different gases also induces the progressive hardening of nanoporous Au, which can be ascribed to irreversible strain contributions. For nanoporous Au samples with ligaments that are 15 nm thick, after 50 exposure cycles, the yield strength increases approximately from 49 MPa to 57 MPa. A systematic investigation on coarser nanoporous Au structures indicates that, with the same exposure cycles, the degree of hardening decreases with the ligament thickness. Full article
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