| Summary: | Hydrostatic properties are important in characterizing the syntactic foams in subsea applications. But they are rarely studied due to the lack of standard test methods and instruments. A novel method of characterizing the hydrostatic properties of syntactic foams based on the pressure build-up and the water input has been developed. A test system has been built with standard and easily accessible parts and components. A demonstration experiment has been carried out on two types of syntactic foams. The effect of the preliminary pressure cycles on the bulk modulus has been studied. The distinct hydrostatic yield and crush behaviors of the two types of syntactic foams are revealed in the test results. The Type I syntactic foam, which is composed of a lighter but weaker type of glass bubble, exhibits a hydrostatic compressive behavior dominated by the properties of the filler. The Type II syntactic foam, which is composed of a stronger but heavier type of glass bubble, exhibits a catastrophic failure mechanism involving both the crushing of the glass bubbles and the failure of the matrix material. With the developed test method, further investigations into the hydrostatic behaviors of the syntactic foams are possible.
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