Producing metal foam with stabilizing particles in metal matrix, comprises producing foamable starting material, foaming the starting material, and generating stabilizing particles in in-situ reaction of reactive substance and molten metal

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This patent describes a method for producing metal foams stabilized by fine particles within the metal matrix. The process involves creating a foamable starting material, then forming foam by using an in-situ reaction between a reactive substance (such as silicon dioxide) and molten metal (typically aluminum and magnesium). This reaction produces spinel (MgAl2O4) nanoparticles that reinforce the foam structure. The resulting metal foams have uniform, polygonal pores, enhancing their mechanical properties.

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• Lightweight structural components in the automotive industry for crash absorption and weight reduction.
• Aerospace components where lightweight, strong materials are crucial for efficiency.
• Thermal management systems, such as heat exchangers, due to the high surface area and conductivity of metal foams.
• Sound insulation panels in transportation or construction, utilizing the foam's porous structure for sound absorption.
• Packaging for delicate or hazardous goods that require energy-absorbing materials.
• Filtration media for chemical or metallurgical processes, leveraging the foam's interconnected pore network.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Enhanced mechanical strength and foam stability provided by in-situ generated spinel nanoparticles.
• Environmentally friendly process, avoiding health and ecological hazards associated with traditional stabilizing agents like fluorides.
• Cost-effective production compared to conventional methods of metal foam stabilization.
• Ability to finely control pore size and distribution, leading to tailored material properties for specific applications.
• Improved wettability and integration of stabilizing particles with the metal matrix, resulting in more uniform and reliable foam structures.
• Scalability for industrial production and adaptability to various metal alloy systems.

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Patent Abstract

Producing metal foam with stabilizing particles in the metal matrix, comprises: producing a foamable starting material; foaming this starting material; and generating the stabilizing particles during the production of the foamable starting material, in an in-situ reaction of a reactive substance and a molten metal, comprising adding the reactive substance to the molten metal under stirring, mixing, heating to greater than 1023 K, allowing to stand at this temperature for 1-5 hours, and forming spinel as stabilizing particles with a diameter in a range of nanometer to submicrometer. Producing metal foam with stabilizing particles in the metal matrix, comprises: producing a foamable starting material; foaming this starting material; and generating the stabilizing particles during the production of the foamable starting material, in an in-situ reaction of a reactive substance and a molten metal, comprising adding the reactive substance comprising silicon dioxide (2.5-7.5 wt.%, based on the molten metal) to the molten metal under stirring, mixing, heating to greater than 1023 K, allowing to stand at this temperature for 1-5 hours, and forming spinel as stabilizing particles with a diameter in a range of nanometer to submicrometer, in the in-situ reaction. An independent claim is also included for a metal foam comprising the stabilizing particles in the metal matrix, where the metal foam is produced by generating the stabilizing particles in an in-situ reaction of the reactive substance and the molten metal, in which the molten metal is added and mixed with silicon dioxide for generating spinel particles having a diameter in a range of submicrometer to nanometer, heating the molten metal above the melting temperature of the components, cooling the melt made of the metal and stabilizing particles, and subsequently foaming. The stabilizing particles are present in an amount of 1-4 vol.% in the metal matrix, and exhibit a size of 60 nm to 3 mu m. The formed metal foam is made of uniformly arranged polygonal foam pores with an average diameter of 1-5 mm.