Aluminium foam produced by the melt foaming route process, properties and applications

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Aluminium foam produced by the melt foaming route process, properties and applications

Asholt, P.

Aluminium foams can be produced by several methods. One of these methods is the so-called melt foaming route, developed simultaneously and independently ba Alcan and Norsk Hydro in the late 1980's and 1990's. This method implies foam production directly from a aluminium alloy melt (mixed with ceramic particles) by injection of gas through rotor impellers. This way of foam production offers many advantages. The single most important ist the possibility for low cost mass production due to the process simplicity and possibility for continuous production. Norsk Hydro has worked with this process for approximately ten years, and the quality of the product has increased substantially over these years. Still, the material has not yet been commercialised by Norsk Hydro. Alcan has now licensed their patent rights to the Canadian company Cymat, who is at present preparing for commercial production. Aluminium foam has a lot of interesting properties, many of which have been explored by Norsk Hydro and collaborating partners. Based on an evaluation of the properties, two main potential application sectors emerge: energy absorption components for transport applications, and foam for stiffeness/strengthening in structural parts such as core for sandwich panels and filling hollow sections. Norsk Hydro is at the present time involved in three projects funded by the European Commission (METEOR, EAMLIFe, ZEDIS) expolring these potentials applications.