| In recent years, metal foams have emerged as a popular advanced material for structural purpose. This class of material has novel physical, mechanical and electrical properties along with low density. It is considered to be one of the most suitable materials for structures that need to be light weight and at the same time crashworthy, thermally insulate and cheap. Metal foams normally retain the beneficial physical properties of their base metal. Foams made of non-flammable base metals are non-flammable as well and can be recycled to their base material. Their coefficient of thermal expansion is also similar to that of the base metal while their thermal conductivity gets reduced due to porous internal structure. The present paper highlights the manufacturing process and properties of metal foams as well as their advantages and limitations. Till date, nine patents have been obtained on foam manufacturing processes. |
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