FOAM MATERIALS

One of the challenges when designing protective structures is efficient impact damping. Most dampers are foam materials with open-cell or closed-cell structures.
One of the materials is foamed aluminum. It is made by blowing gas through molten metal.
The method allows manufacturing foamed aluminum both with open and closed cells of required sizes.
Depending on the particular requirements foamed aluminum can feature porosity in the range of 55% to 80% with the pore size from 0.05mm to 5mm and density from 0.3 to 1.33 g/cm2.
The materials can be used not only as a damper, but also as a noise absorber or a filter element
Vibration and shock absorbers made of foamed aluminum have the same performance in a wide frequency range as those made of foamed plastics or a semi-rigid mineral wool board; at the same time foamed aluminum has the advantages of higher structural strength and heat resistance, easier cleaning.
The filters made of foamed aluminum can be used for cleaning of manufacturing wastewater, corrosive liquids and gases. The filters hold up mechanical impurities up to 10 mm and heavy metal ions. The dirt-holding capacity of the filters till regeneration is 5 to 6 times larger than that of standard filters. The foam aluminum filters can be repeatedly regenerated.
Foamed aluminum filters are 7 to 10 times cheaper than the ones made by powder metallurgy, chemical or electrochemical methods.

Status: pilot technology