Development of lightweight al alloy and technique

A most promising lightweight material termed cellular metal is of growing interest to industry because of its combination of strength and energy absorption. A new foaming agent, calcium carbonate, along with an appropriate technique are suggested to improve the metal structure and control the foaming process. An applied coating enhances wetting of the agent particles and improves the homogeneity of the foam. Structure and mechanical properties of the foams obtained were also studied. The results showed that calcium carbonate ensured an aluminum foam with comparable density and smaller pores than with the conventional foaming agent, titanium hydride. The present study confirmed that calcium carbonate and the described technique have good applicability for foamed metal production.