Metal Foams: A Design Guide

Application Comment
Introduction
Biocompatible inserts The cellular texture of biocompatible metal foams
such as titanium stimulate cell growth
Filters Open-cell foams with controled pore size have
potential for high-temperature gas and fluid
filtration
Electrical screening Good electrical conduction, mechanical strength
and low density make metfoams attractive for
screening
Electrodes, and High surface/volume ratio allows compact
catalyst carriers electrodes with high reaction surface area – see
Chapter 17
Buoyancy Low density and good corrosion resistance
suggests possible floatation applications
1.3 The literature on metal foams
The body of literature on metal foams is small, but growing quickly. The
selection below gives sources that provide a general background. Specific
references to more specialized papers and reports are given at the end of the
chapter to which they are relevant.
Banhart, J. (1997) (ed.), Metallschäume, MIT Verlag, Bremen, Germany: the proceedings of a
conference held in Bremen in March 1997, with extensive industrial participation (in German).
Banhart, J., Ashby, M.F. and Fleck, N.A. (eds), (1999) Metal Foams and Foam Metal Structures,
Proc. Int. Conf. Metfoam’99, 14–16 June 1999, Bremen, Germany, MIT Verlag: the proceedings
of a conference held in Bremen in June 1999 with extensive industrial participation (in
English).
Evans, A.G. (ed.) (1998) Ultralight Metal Structures, Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard
University, Cambridge, MA, USA: the annual report on the MURI programme sponsored by
the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency and Office of Naval Research.
Gibson, L.J. and Ashby, M.F. (1997) Cellular Solids, Structure and Properties, 2nd edition,
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK: a text dealing with mechanical, thermal, electrical
and structural properties of foams of all types.
Shwartz, D.S., Shih, D.S., Evans, A.G. and Wadley, H.N.G. (eds) (1998) Porous and Cellular
Materials for Structural Application, Materials Reseach Society Proceedings Vol. 521, MRS,
Warrendale, PA, USA: the proceedings of a research conference containing a broad spectrum
of papers on all aspects of metal foams.
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