Premium
Density‐Graded Cellular Aluminum
Author(s) -
Brothers A. H.,
Dunand D. C.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
advanced engineering materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.938
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1527-2648
pISSN - 1438-1656
DOI - 10.1002/adem.200600074
Subject(s) - materials science , metal foam , investment casting , aluminium , relative density , polyurethane , composite material , characterization (materials science) , load bearing , casting , metal , metallurgy , nanotechnology , microstructure , mold
Open‐cell metallic foams with controlled, continuous density gradients were created from polyurethane foam precursors using an investment casting method. This method, designed to improve mass‐efficiency in load‐bearing metallic foams and facilitate bonding of foams to dense materials in higher‐order structures, is described in detail, and demonstrated through pure aluminum foams with model relative density gradients. Methods for structural characterization, including non‐destructive local density mapping, are also illustrated.