Selected mechanical and physical properties of metal foams

Due to a new powder metallurgical method it is possible to obtain highly porous metallic parts with a relative density of 20 % and lower. This cellular structure gives rise to unique properties which could in former times only be exploited for cellular plastics. The mechanical properties for foamed metals are presented in form of compression strength and Young's modulus data. The dependencies of the properties on the apparent density a-re discussed and compared with theoretical models. The electrical conductivity of metal foams exhibit a power-law dependence on the apparent density with exponents of about 1.5 and is shown for different material compositions