ALUHAB — The Superior Aluminium Foam

Abstract

A new metal foaming technology has been developed to produce aluminum foams with controlled cell sizes, a wide range of alloy compositions, and attractive mechanical properties. ALUHAB aluminium foams are manufactured from a special foamable aluminium alloy containing ultrafine particles (80-3000 nm). The technology uses high temperature ultrasonication to homogeneously disperse the particles and thus create a stable, foamable aluminum melt. Oscillating gas injector (loud-nozzle) technology permits the injection of optimally sized bubbles into the melt that are independent of the injector orifice diameter. Using this direct gas injection method, bubble size is regulated by the frequency and the power of the ultrasound, producing uniform bubble sizes in the sub-millimeter range. The technology results in extremely stable metal foams which can be cast into complex forms and re-melted without loss of foam integrity. Processing methods and properties of the ALUHAB foams will be discussed.