Novel fabrication technology for metal foams

The novel low-cost technology is proposed for fabrication of foams from metals, alloys, intermetallics, ceramics, etc. A variety of foams with density and anisotropy tailored to the desired end use can be produced by thistechnology. It allows precise control of cell size, which may be accurately pre-assigned in the range from tens of microns to millimeters in size. The characteristics of components fabricated from the proposed foams may be tailored to the specific applications through the control of their anisotropy. The technique allows fabrication of near-net-shape sandwich and tubular structures with foam cores in one step. The unique combination of low density, highly developed inner surface and low pressure drop of the metal foams enables their multifunctional applications. Copper, stainless steel and superalloy foams can be used for lightweight energy absorbing components, heat exchangers and regenerators, catalyst supports, microreactors, injectors, etc. The promising application of titanium foams is bone tissue engineering.