Processing, characterisation and mechanical properties of metal foams

Metal foams and other highly porous metal materials exhibit unique combinations of excellent mechanical, thermal, electrical and acoustic properties that provide opportunities for a wide range of applications. The recent development of a number of cost-effective processes for making metal foams has increased their potential for applications in biomaterials, sandwich panels for lightweight structural components, in energy absorption devices for protection from impact, in heat sinks for electronic devices and in noise attenuation etc. Porous titanium and titanium alloys have been developed for orthopaedic and dental applications in recent years. This new class of metal scaffolds are receiving increasing attention due to their excellent biocompatibility, bone-mimicking architecture and mechanical properties which ensure new bone tissue ingrowth ability, vascularisations and eliminating stress shielding effect. Porous titanium and titanium alloy foams can be conveniently produced by powder metallurgy.