Metal Foams: A Design Guide

Contents
Preface and acknowledgements ix
List of contributors xi
Table of physical constants and conversion units xiii
1 Introduction 1
1.1 This Design Guide 1
1.2 Potential applications for metal foams 3
1.3 The literature on metal foams 5
2 Making metal foams 6
2.1 Making metal foams 6
2.2 Melt gas injection (air bubbling) 8
2.3 Gas-releasing particle decomposition in the melt 9
2.4 Gas-releasing particle decomposition in semi-solids 11
2.5 Casting using a polymer or wax precursor as template 11
2.6 Metal decomposition on cellular preforms 14
2.7 Entrapped gas expansion 14
2.8 Hollow sphere structures 16
2.9 Co-compaction or casting of two materials, one leachable 19
2.10 Gas–metal eutectic solidification 20
2.11 Literature on the manufacture of metal foams 20
3 Characterization methods 24
3.1 Structural characterization 24
3.2 Surface preparation and sample size 26
3.3 Uniaxial compression testing 27
3.4 Uniaxial tension testing 29
3.5 Shear testing 30
3.6 Multi-axial testing of metal foams 31
3.7 Fatigue testing 34
3.8 Creep testing 35
3.9 Indentation and hardness testing 35
3.10 Surface strain mapping 36
3.11 Literature on testing of metal foams 38
4 Properties of metal foams 40
4.1 Foam structure 40
4.2 Foam properties: an overview 42