Simulation‐Based Analysis of Insert Pull‐Out in Nickel‐Polyurethane Hybrid Foams Using CT‐Derived Geometries

Abstract

Open‐cell nickel‐polyurethane hybrid foams are lightweight energy absorbers, but their porous architecture complicates reliable joining. This study investigates the micromechanical deformation and failure mechanisms of a process‐integrated threaded insert under pull‐out loading using finite element simulations based on a CT‐derived foam geometry. Uncertain effective strut‐level properties are addressed through a parameter study employing an elastoplastic ductile damage model. Although the material parameters moderately affect the global force–displacement response, the simulations consistently reproduce the experimentally observed deformation trends. Plastic deformation localizes in a distinct annular region around the insert, with the peak equivalent plastic strain occurring approximately 4–4.5 mm from the insert surface, largely independent of the parameter set. High plastic deformation preferentially occurs in struts oriented perpendicular to the pull‐out direction. The insert–coating interface remains largely intact, indicating that the surrounding foam architecture, rather than interfacial debonding, governs the dominant failure mechanism. The results show that CT‐based micromechanical modeling can robustly identify damage localization and orientation‐dependent deformation mechanisms despite uncertainties in effective material properties, providing guidance for the design of joining concepts in porous hybrid materials.