The mechanical behavior of epoxy resin foams and the numerical simulation based on phenomenological strain rate‐dependent constitutive model and cellular structure.

Epoxy resin foams are lightweight materials commonly utilized as core materials in shipbuilding and aerospace applications. Mechanical properties and yielding behavior were the basis of the application of epoxy resin foams. In order to reveal the yield behavior and mechanical properties of epoxy resin foams. The compression and tension behavior of epoxy resin foams were investigated. The compression modulus and the tensile modulus increased with the strain rates and foams' density. Epoxy resin foams exhibited excellent toughness and the maximum elongation at break could reach 17.2%. The mechanical properties (εtotal < 5%) of epoxy resin foams were successfully predicted through combining phenomenological strain rate‐dependent constitutive model for epoxy resin and cell structures. The yield point was represented through the elastic strain fraction. The compressive elastic strain fraction (C∅e,εinelastic=0.2%) was 0.908, and the tensile elastic strain fraction (L∅e,εinelastic=0.2%) was 0.884. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]