1. METAL FOAMS

2. What Metal Foams are:
These are metals that have a bone marrow type structure, much like an aero bar. Metals that can be used in this form are Aluminium a majority of the time, with titanium and tantalum being the others used in less frequent times. The reason why metal foams are used are they are the fraction of the weight of normal metal and have very high strength.

3. Contents During this slide show we will cover:
The beginnings of metal foams
How metal foams are made
The properties of metal foams
The engineering applications of metal foams
The advantages of metal foams compared to other materials
Why metal foams are used
A modern and future innovation

4. The Beginnings of Metal Foams
The idea and concept of metal foams go back to the 1950’s where they were intended for the Aerospace and Automotive industries. There was a need to create lighter aircraft that would be easier to manoeuvre, more economical to run and still to have the same metallic properties of strength that would be as normally used metallic structures.

5. How Metal Foams are Made
This is achieved by creating gas bubbles in the molten metal by:
Injecting gas into the liquid / molten metal from an external source
Causing the precipitation (falling down) of gas that had just been dissolved in the liquid
Causing an in-situ gas formation in the liquid by admixing gas-releasing blowing agents to the melt

6. The Properties of Metal Foams
Ultralight material (75–95% of the volume consists of void spaces)
Very high porosity
High compression strengths combined with good energy absorption characteristics
Thermal conductivity is low
High strength
Can provide light weight radiation shielding
Has potential for giving sound absorption

7. The Engineering Applications of Metal Foams
The closed variety is used for structural applications requiring load-bearing features, and for weight-saving and impact-absorbing structures in vehicles
The open variety is ideal for vibration and sound absorption, filtration and catalysis at high temperatures, for heat exchange and in medical devices.
The open variety is also useful in functional applications such as filtration and damping.

8. The Engineering Applications of Metal Foams
Foam metal is being used as an experimental prosthetic in animals.
Metal foams with high strengths can act as high-capacity impact-energy absorbers.
Automotive industry - the foams reduce the number of parts in the car frame, facilitate assembly, thereby reducing costs and improving performance.

9. Advantages of Using Metal Foams?
Over to you now wiseguys…………….

10. Disadvantages of Using Metal Foams?
Over to you wiseguys once again…………….

11. Why Are Metal Foams Used
Again…………….

12. Boeing: Lightest. Metal. Ever.
The following short youtube video will speak about a metal form that has been developed for applications where both strength and weight are just as important as each other, and to be utilised in the aerospace field:

13. REFERENCES:
shielding/ bumpers