---
title: "Texas A&M and US Army develop 10x energy absorption foam composite"
url: https://www.voxelmatters.com/texas-am-and-us-army-develop-10x-energy-absorption-foam-composite/
date: 2026-03-09
modified: 2026-03-09
lang: en
author: "Joseph Caron-Dawe"
description: "Aerospace engineering and materials science researchers at Texas A&M University, together with the US Army's DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory (ARL), have developed a hybrid foam composite capable of absorbing up..."
categories:
  - "AM Research"
  - "Composites"
  - "Defense"
tags:
  - "future"
image: https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/hybrid-foam-hero-image-640x400.jpg
word_count: 377
---

# Texas A&M and US Army develop 10x energy absorption foam composite

Aerospace engineering and materials science researchers at [Texas A&M University](https://www.voxelmatters.com/texas-am-researchers-3d-print-lungs-for-extreme-environments/), together with the [US Army's DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory (ARL)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/velo3d-participates-in-devcom-avmc-and-ms-initiative/), have developed a hybrid foam composite capable of absorbing up to 10 times more energy than conventional padding.

![Texas A&M and Army Research Lab develop hybrid foam composite with 10x energy absorption](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/hybrid-foam--340x249.jpg)

The material combines standard open-cell foam with 3D printed elastomeric struts, which were injected directly into the foam's internal structure. The technique is called In-Foam Additive Manufacturing (IFAM), and it allows engineers to control the diameter, spacing, angle, and elasticity of the struts in order to tune the composite for strength, energy absorption, or comfort.

The technique could help overcome longstanding issues around affordability and precision trade-offs.

The research was led by Dr. Mohammad Naraghi, director of the Nanostructured Materials Lab at the Texas A&M College of Engineering, in collaboration with Dr. Eric Wetzel, team leader for Strategic Polymers Additive Manufacturing at the ARL. Their findings were published in the journal [Composite Structures](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0263822326001236?via%3Dihub).

“IFAM is a simple, computer-driven manufacturing process that allows us to build an elastomeric skeleton inside of a conventional open-cell foam,” stated Wetzel. “The diameter, spacing, angle and elasticity of the elastomer can be selected to achieve a wide range of properties. 

“The IFAM process combines the best of both worlds, providing a low-cost, customizable, high-performance composite energy absorber.”

Under compression, the foam stabilizes the struts during early loading, preventing premature buckling. As pressure increases, the struts redistribute force outward into the surrounding foam. This results in a load-sharing dynamic, which the researchers described as synergistic.

“We've turned a simple foam into a tunable, high-performance, super foam composite,” claimed Naraghi. “It has the potential to be a universal solution for a wide range of applications.”

[![Texas A&M and Army Research Lab develop hybrid foam composite with 10x energy absorption](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/hybrid-foam-sequence-1.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/hybrid-foam-sequence-1.jpg)

[![Texas A&M and Army Research Lab develop hybrid foam composite with 10x energy absorption](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/hybrid-foam-sequence-2.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/hybrid-foam-sequence-2.jpg)

[![Texas A&M and Army Research Lab develop hybrid foam composite with 10x energy absorption](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/hybrid-foam-sequence-3.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/hybrid-foam-sequence-3.jpg)

[![Texas A&M and Army Research Lab develop hybrid foam composite with 10x energy absorption](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/hybrid-foam-sequence-4.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/hybrid-foam-sequence-4.jpg)

## Defense and civilian applications

Being an Army-sponsored project, the primary application targets military protective equipment.

“Energy-absorbing materials are critical to a wide range of Army applications, including [ballistic helmets and blast-resistant seat cushions](https://www.voxelmatters.com/armorsource-3d-prints-lining-for-ballistic-helmets/),” Wetzel stated. The team is actively exploring integration into military helmets designed to withstand both ballistic impact and blunt-force trauma.

Additionally, the researchers also identified civilian applications including bicycle, motorcycle and sports helmets, automotive passenger protection, and child safety seats. Acoustic insulation has also been identified as a potential use case, with the composite being engineered to suppress specific sound frequency bands.