Comprehensive Study: Advanced Engineering Materials - Metal Foams

This report provides a comprehensive overview of metal foams, a class of low-density materials with high mechanical and thermal properties. It begins with an introduction to metal foams and composite metal foams (CMFs), highlighting their superior strength and energy absorption capabilities compared to base metals. The report then classifies various types of metal foams based on the base metals used, with a focus on silicon and aluminum foams, along with examples of porous gold and nanoporous carbon foams. It delves into the properties of metal foams, emphasizing the influence of manufacturing methods, cell structure (open or closed), and material shape on their thermal and mechanical characteristics. The report discusses different modeling methods used for metal foams, including Finite Element Method, Molecular Dynamics, and Kinetic Monte Carlo simulation. Furthermore, it explores the diverse applications of metal foams in functional, structural, architectural, and design fields, along with specific applications of silicon, aluminum, porous gold, and nanoporous carbon foams. The report also presents mathematical models used to calculate properties like thermal conductivity and viscosity, including Maxwell, Yu and Choi, Hamilton and Crosser, Einstein, and Brinkman models. Finally, it covers thermal and structural analysis techniques applied to metal foams and concludes with a list of relevant references.

By (Student’s Name)
ADVANCED
ENGINEERING
MATERIALS – METAL
FOAMS

Introduction
Types of Composites/Metal foams
Properties of composites/Metal foams
Modelling of composites/metal foams
Modelling methods types
Contents

Metal foams are low density materials with
high mechanical and thermal properties.
Composite Metal Foam are made of one
metal hollow beads in other matrices’ solid
matrix.
CMF are 6 or 5 times stringer than base
metals.
CMF have a 7 times larger energy absorption
capability compared to base metals.
Introduction

With regards to the base metals, there are as
many metal foam types.
The mostly used base metal is made of silicon
or aluminium when coming up with CMF.
Porous gold and nanoprous carbon are some
of the metal foam types used and developed.
CMF types are able to be generated taking
from reinforced wt. %
Types of Composites/Metal
Foams

Metal foam properties depend on the
manufacturing and cellular structure
methods.
Properties of metal foams also depend on the
cell types (closed or open)
Shape, size and anisotropy present in the
material influence the metal foam properties.
The distinction between solid material and
metal foams, ‘s’ would denote the properties
for solid materials while ‘ex ps and p’ denote
metal foam properties.
Properties of Composites/Metal
Foams

The metal foams’ thermal properties are
taken to be similar to the solid materials that
made them.
The metal foam’s thermal conductivity is
derived considering the metal foam density
and the solid material density as;
K above represent thermal conductivity while
q represents constants ranging from 1.65-1.8
Thermal Properties

Mechanical Properties

Modelling Method Types
Numerous varieties of methods exist in
mathematical modelling of metal foams.
1. Finite Element Method.
2. Molecular Dynamics.
3. Kinetic Monte Carlo simulation.
4. Ab initio calculation.
5. Phase filed method.

Applications
The metal foams applications falling under
fields;
1. Functional applications.
2. Structural applications.
3. Art, design and decoration.
4. Architectural applications.

Applications
The metal foams applications falling under metal
foams types;
1. Silicon metal foam: Solar cells, capacitors, sensors
while in medical used in cancer treatment.
2. Aluminium foams: High fracture, lightweight
construction and stiffness.
3. Porous gold: Protein sensing, glucose sensing,
DNA sensing, mercury sensing, molecular
sensing.
4. Nanoporous carbon foam: Electrodes, surgical
implants, cells and bioreactors.

Mathematical Models
The metal foam properties for example density and
thermal conductivity could be calculated using the
mathematical models.
1. Thermal conductivity;
Yu and Choi model
Maxwell model
Hamilton and crosser model
2. Viscosity model;
Einstein model
Brinkman model
3. Physical mixture rule

Thermal Conductivity Models
Maxwell model;
In that;
K represents the thermal conductivity.
Φ represents the added composite’s
percentage weight
np, nf, bf represent the base metal, metal foam
and composite repectively.