Electro-Deposition of Cu on Open Cell Aluminum Foams

Abstract

This manuscript deals with the electro-deposition of Cu on aluminum foams. Metallic foams are highly porous materials which present complex structure of three-dimensional open cells. This aspect causes strong limitations in mass transport due to electro-deposition technology. Experimental tests were performed to study the influence of the operational parameters on the overall performance of the coated aluminum foams. The experimental findings revealed that the manufactured metal foams were characterized by a high thermal conductivity and low process costs, making these materials very promising in many technological fields. On the basis of the experimental results, analytical models are proposed to predict the quantity and the quality characteristics of the coating.