Mechanical Properties of Aluminium Matrix Syntactic Foams Manufactured with Aluminium Smelter Waste

Aluminum smelter waste (ASW) is a big contributor to landfill and its recycling has been of great interest. This study characterizes the ASW powder, manufactures aluminum matrix syntactic foams using ASW, and investigates their mechanical properties. Different particle size groups of the ASW powder contain different impurities and porosities, leading to different strengths. The mechanical behaviors of the ASW syntactic foams are similar to existing metal matrix syntactic foams. The compressive yield strength, plateau strength, and specific energy absorbed vary in the ranges of 111–398, 33–145 MPa, and 18–71 MJ m −3 . The flexural strength and flexural modulus vary in the ranges of 8–138 MPa and 13–72 GPa. The peak impact strength and impact energy in drop‐weight impact vary in the ranges of 192–547 MPa and 16–29 J. Particle size and heat treatment of the ASW powder have significant effects on the properties and brittleness of the resultant syntactic foam.