Lorna J. Gibson

Metal Foams: A Design Guide

Introduction Making Metal Foams Characterization Methods Properties of Metal Foams Design Analysis for Material Selection Design Formulae for Simple Structures A Constitutive Model for Metal Foams Design for Creep with Metal Foams Sandwich Structures Energy Management: Packaging and Blast Protection Sound Absorption and Vibration Suppression Thermal Management and Heat Transfer Electrical Properties of Metal Foams Cutting, Finishing and Joining Cost Estimation and Viability Case Studies Suppliers of Metal Foams Web Sites Index .

The Mechanics of Three-Dimensional Cellular Materials

The mechanical properties (the moduli and collapse strengths) of three dimensional cellular solids or foams are related to the properties of the cell wall, and to the cell geometry. The results of the analyses give a good description of a large body of data for polymeric foams.

The mechanical behaviour of cancellous bone

Cancellous bone has a cellular structure: it is made up of a connected network of rods and plates. Because of this, its mechanical behaviour is similar to that of other cellular materials such as polymeric foams. A recent study on the mechanisms of deformation in such materials has led to an understanding of how their mechanical properties depend on their relative density, cell wall properties and cell geometry. In this paper, the results of this previous study are applied to cancellous bone in an attempt to further understand its mechanical behaviour. The results of the analysis agree reasonably well with experimental data available in the literature.

Influence of freezing rate on pore structure in freeze-dried collagen-GAG scaffolds.

The cellular structure of collagen-glycosaminoglycan (CG) scaffolds used in tissue engineering must be designed to meet a number of constraints with respect to biocompatibility, degradability, pore size, pore structure, and specific surface area. The conventional freeze-drying process for fabricating CG scaffolds creates variable cooling rates throughout the scaffold during freezing, producing a heterogeneous matrix pore structure with a large variation in average pore diameter at different locations throughout the scaffold. In this study, the scaffold synthesis process was modified to produce more homogeneous freezing by controlling of the rate of freezing during fabrication and obtaining more uniform contact between the pan containing the CG suspension and the freezing shelf through the use of smaller, less warped pans. The modified fabrication technique has allowed production of CG scaffolds with a more homogeneous structure characterized by less variation in mean pore size throughout the scaffold (mean: 95.9 microm, CV: 0.128) compared to the original scaffold (mean: 132.4 microm, CV: 0.185). The pores produced using the new technique appear to be more equiaxed, compared with those in scaffolds produced using the original technique.

Cellular materials as porous scaffolds for tissue engineering

A major goal of tissue engineering is to synthesize or regenerate tissues and organs. Today, this is done by providing a synthetic porous scaffold, or matrix, which mimics the bodys own extracellular matrix, onto which cells attach, multiply, migrate and function. Porous scaffolds are currently being developed for regeneration of skin, cartilage, bone, nerve and liver. The microstructures of many porous scaffolds ressemble that of an engineering foam. In this paper, we describe the microstructural requirements for porous scaffolds, review several processes for making them and show typical microstructures. Clinical studies have found that a collagen-based scaffold for skin regeneration reduces wound contraction during the healing process, reducing scar formation. The process of wound contraction is not well understood. Here, we describe the measurement of contraction of collagen-based scaffolds by fibroblasts in vitro using a cell force monitor.

Size effects in ductile cellular solids. Part II: experimental results

There is increasing interest in the use of metallic foams in a variety of applications, including lightweight structural sandwich panels and energy absorption devices. In such applications, the mechanical response of the foams is of critical importance. In this study, we have investigated the effect of specimen size (relative to the cell size) on selected mechanical properties of aluminum foams. Models, described in the companion paper, provide a physical basis for understanding size effects in metallic foams. The models give a good description of size effects in metallic foams.

The hierarchical structure and mechanics of plant materials

The cell walls in plants are made up of just four basic building blocks: cellulose (the main structural fibre of the plant kingdom) hemicellulose, lignin and pectin. Although the microstructure of plant cell walls varies in different types of plants, broadly speaking, cellulose fibres reinforce a matrix of hemicellulose and either pectin or lignin. The cellular structure of plants varies too, from the largely honeycomb-like cells of wood to the closed-cell, liquid-filled foam-like parenchyma cells of apples and potatoes and to composites of these two cellular structures, as in arborescent palm stems. The arrangement of the four basic building blocks in plant cell walls and the variations in cellular structure give rise to a remarkably wide range of mechanical properties: Youngs modulus varies from 0.3 MPa in parenchyma to 30 GPa in the densest palm, while the compressive strength varies from 0.3 MPa in parenchyma to over 300 MPa in dense palm. The moduli and compressive strength of plant materials span this entire range. This study reviews the composition and microstructure of the cell wall as well as the cellular structure in three plant materials (wood, parenchyma and arborescent palm stems) to explain the wide range in mechanical properties in plants as well as their remarkable mechanical efficiency.

Compressive and tensile behaviour of aluminum foams

The uniaxial compressive and tensile modulus and strength of several aluminum foams are compared with models for cellular solids. The open cell foam is well described by the model. The closed cell foams have moduli and strengths that fall well below the expected values. The reduced values are the result of defects in the cellular microstructure which cause bending rather than stretching of the cell walls. Measurement and modelling of the curvature and corrugations in the cell walls suggests that these two features account for most of the reduction in properties in closed cell foams.

Effects of solid distribution on the stiffness and strength of metallic foams

Lightweight metallic cellular materials can be used in the construction of composite plates, shells and tubes with high structural efficiency. Previous models for the mechanical performance of cellular materials have focused on their dependence on relative density, cell geometry and the properties of the solid material of which the cell faces and edges are composed. In this study, we consider the effect of the distribution of solid between the cell faces and edges on mechanical properties using finite element analysis of idealized 2D (hexagonal honeycomb) and 3D (closed-cell tetrakaidecahedral foam) cellular materials. The effects of the distribution of the solid on the stiffness and strength of these materials are presented and discussed.

Aluminum foams produced by liquid-state processes

Abstract Lightweight cellular materials can be used in the construction of composite plates, shells and tubes with high structural efficiency. Metallic sandwich construction with integrally bonded face-sheet/foam core configurations offer a cost-efficient alternative to conventional skin-stringer and honeycomb core components. The potential effectiveness of such constructions is dependent on the properties and performance of the core materials. In this study, aluminum foams made by two liquid-state production methods are considered. The cellular structure and mechanical properties of these foams are investigated, and the influence of the production method on the structural performance of the materials is discussed.