Effects of copper content on microstructure and mechanical properties of open-cell steel foams

The effects of copper content on the microstructural and mechanical properties of steel foams are investigated. Spherical urea granules, used as a water-leachable space holder, were coated with a mixture of iron, ultrafine carbon, and different amounts of copper powders. After the mixture was compacted and the space holder was removed by leaching, a sintering process was performed under an atmosphere of thermally dissociated ammonia. Microstructural evaluations of the cell walls were carried out using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy in conjunction with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. In addition, compression tests were conducted to investigate the mechanical properties of the manufactured steel foams. The results showed that the total porosity decreases from 77.2% to 71.9% with increasing copper content in the steel foams. In the foams' microstructure, copper islands are mostly distributed in pearlite and intergranular carbide phases are formed in the grain boundaries. When the copper content was increased from 0 to 4 wt%, the elastic modulus, plateau stress, fracture stress, and fracture strain of manufactured steel foams improved 4.5, 6, 6.4, and 2.5 times, respectively.

Numerical Modeling of the Compression Process of Elastic Open-cell Foams

The random models of open-cell foams that can reflect the actual cell geometrical properties are constructed with the Voronoi technique. The compression process of elastic open-cell foams is simulated with the nonlinear calculation module of finite element analysis program. In order to get the general results applicable to this kind of materials, the dimensionless compressive stress is used and the stress-strain curves of foam models with different geometrical properties are obtained. Then, the influences of open-cell geometrical properties, including the shape of strut cross section, relative density and cell shape irregularity, on the compressive nonlinear mechani- cal performance are analyzed. In addition, the numerical results are compared with the predicted results of cubic staggering model. Nu- merical results indicate that the simulated results reflect the compressive process of foams quite well and the geometrical properties of cell have significant influences on the nonlinear mechanical behavior of foams.

Preparation of open-celled aluminum foams by counter-gravity infiltration casting

A novel counter-gravity infiltration casting device and corresponding fabricating process for producing open-celled aluminum foams were presented. The experimental results show that defects such as insufficient or excessive infiltrating can hardly be found in the foam samples prepared by counter-gravity infiltration casting. The foam materials exhibit excellent mechanical properties. The void content strongly affects the mechanical properties of aluminum foams. The yield stress and plateau stress significantly increase with the decrease of void content. Raising pre-heating temperature and increasing packing pressure are effective to lower the void content in aluminum foams.

Thermal properties of open-celled aluminum foams prepared by two infiltration casting methods

Contrastive research was carried out to study the thermal properties of open-celled aluminum foams prepared by counter-gravity infiltration casting system and the traditional process respectively.The experimental results show that the thermal conductivity coefficients of aluminum foams prepared by two different infiltration methods have similar increasing trend with the increase of particle size;along with the reducing porosity,the thermal conductivity coefficients will be enhanced oppositely.However,with the same particle size,the open-celled aluminum foam prepared by the former method has a higher thermal conductivity coefficient obviously.It is largely because that the sample prepared by counter-gravity infiltration casting has a lower void content and better dense crystallization of metal-matrix after the constant pressure process.

Effects of microstructure on uniaxial strength asymmetry of open-cell foams

Based on the elongated Kelvin model, the effect of microstructure on the uniaxial strength asymmetry of open-cell foams is investigated. The results indicate that this asymmetry depends on the relative density, the solid material, the cell morphology, and the strut geometry of open-cell foams. Even though the solid material has the same tensile and compressive strength, the tensile and compressive strength of open-cell foams with asymmetrical sectional struts are still different. In addition, with the increasing degree of anisotropy, the uniaxial strength as well as the strength asymmetry increases in the rise direction but reduces in the transverse direction. Moreover, the plastic collapse ratio between two directions is verified to depend mainly on the cell morphology. The predicted results are compared with Gibson and Ashby＇s theoretical results as well as the experimental data reported in the literature, which validates that the elongated Kelvin model is accurate in explaining the strength asymmetry presented in realistic open-cell foams.

Preparation and properties of open-cell zinc foams as human bone substitute material

Foamed zinc was prepared by infiltration casting process.The mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of the samples were studied,and the feasibility of the foamed zinc as a bone implant material was discussed.All the compression stress-strain curves of open-cell zinc foams with various cell size(1-4 mm)and porosity(55%-67%)show three stages:elastic stage,plastic stage,and densification stage.The compression strength increases with decreasing density.The smooth stress-strain response indicates a progressively deformation of open-cell zinc foam.In addition,the cell wall or edge bending and fracture are the dominated mechanisms for failure of open cell zinc foam.The immersion test for determining the corrosion rate of open cell zinc foam was conducted in simulated body fluid.It was found that zinc foam with a small cell size and high porosity showed a higher corrosion rate.In addition,open-cell zinc foams can effectively induce Ca-P deposition in immersion tests,showing good bioactivity.Therefore,the open cell zinc foam prepared in this experiment has a good potential application as a human bone substitute material.

Analysis and simulation for tensile behavior of anisotropic open-cell elastic foams

Based on the elongated Kelvin obtained to investigate the tensile behavior Kelvin model＇s periodicity and symmetry in model, a simplified periodic structural cell is of anisotropic open-cell elastic foams due to the whole space. The half-strut element and elastic deflection theory are used to analyze the tensile response as done in the previous studies. This study produces theoretical expressions for the tensile stress-strain curve in the rise and transverse directions. In addition, the theoretical results are examined with finite element simulation using an existing formula. The results indicate that the theoretical analysis agrees with the finite element simulation when the strain is not too high, and the present model is better. At the same time, the anisotropy ratio has a significant effect on the mechanical properties of foams. As the anisotropy ratio increases, the tensile stress is improved in the rising direction but drops in the transverse direction under the same strain.

Bonding effect of liquid magnesium with open-celled carbon foam in interpenetrating phase composite

The issue of bonding formation in liquid metal/open-celled carbon foam(C_(of))systems was examined,taking into account the practical aspects of the synthesis of a new type of Mg-C metal material composite.The problem is complex due to the strong oxidation and intense evaporation of liquid magnesium,as well as the 3D geometry of the carbon component,where metal transport occurred through the foam cells’windows.Laboratory experiments performed at 700℃ in ceramic crucibles showed that spontaneous carbon foam infiltration by liquid metal is impossible under the applied conditions,either in an air atmosphere coupled with flux protection or under argon protection.Comparative tests performed in a UHV chamber filled with static pure Ar by a sessile drop method,coupled with non-contact heating and capillary purification at a test temperature of 700℃ directly in the UHV chamber,showed non-wetting behavior of the Mg/C_(of)couple with a correspondingly high contact angle of about 135°.The graphite capillary was then moved down,the liquid drop being slightly pressed into the foam,but these changes did not induce effective foam penetration.Despite the short contact time for the sessile drop test under an argon atmosphere,SEM+WDS analysis of the solidified Mg/C_(of)couple revealed the formation of an MgO interlayer at the interface,with a thickness of approx.1μm.The experimentally demonstrated presence of oxygen in the carbon foam sample,both before and after its contact with magnesium,points to oxide-type bonding being established between Mg and C_(of).This observation is in a good agreement with previous reports on the interface characterization of magnesium matrix composites reinforced with glassy carbon materials and carbon fibers by stir casting and pressure infiltration.Based on the findings of this study,a general structural scheme of the bonding process between carbon foam and liquid magnesium,as an important stage in the syntheses of Mg-C composites,was proposed.

Preparation of open-cell metal foams by investment cast

Metal foams are a new kind of materials with low densities and novel physical, mechanical, thermal, electrical and acoustic properties. They can be divided into closed and open cell structures. In this paper the open cell structures, called sponges, were treated. A new technique to manufacture sponges by plaster investment casting was described. Experimental results show that it is essential to make a sound plaster mould by casting plaster slurry into the polyurethane foams and infiltrate the open channels of the baked plaster mold by molten metal. The optimal processes include plaster slurry preparation, plaster mold baking, and molten metal infiltration. The sponge sample with porosity of 97% is presented.

Fabrication and compressive behavior of open-cell aluminum foams via infiltration casting using spherical CaCl_(2) space-holders

The infiltration casting fabrication process based on spherical CaCl_(2) space-holders and the compressive behavior including the mechanical performance and energy absorption capacity of open-cell aluminum foams were investigated.Open-cell aluminum foams with different porosities in the range of 63.1%to 87.3%can be fabricated by adjusting compression ratios of CaCl_(2) preforms prepared by precision hot-pressing.The compression tests show that a strain-hardening phenomenon always occurs especially for open-cell aluminum foam with low porosity,resulting in the inclining stress-strain curve in the plateau region.The energy absorption capacity of open-cell aluminum foam decreases with increasing porosity when compared at the same strain.However,when compared at a given stress,each foam can absorb the maximal energy among the five foams in a special stress range.Additionally,open-cell aluminum foam possesses the maximum energy absorption efficiency at its optimum operating stress.At this stress condition,the foam can absorb the highest energy compared with other foams at the same stress point.The optimum operating stress and the corresponding maximal energy absorption decrease with increasing the porosity.The optimum operating stress for energy absorption can also be determined similarly when taking into consideration of the lightweight extent of foams.

Thermostability,mechanical and tribological behaviors of polyimide matrix composites interpenetrated with foamed copper

Polyimide matrix composites interpenetrated with foamed copper were prepared via pressure impregnation and vacuum immersion to focus on their thermostability, mechanical and tribological behaviors as sliding electrical contact materials. The results show that the interpenetrating phase composites（IPC） are very heat-resistant and exhibit higher hardness as well as bending strength, when compared with homologous polyimide matrix composites without foamed copper. Sliding electrical contact property of the materials is also remarkably improved, from the point of contact voltage drops. Moreover, it is believed that fatigue wear is the main mechanism involved, along with slight abrasive wear and oxidation wear. The better abrasive resistance of the IPC under different testing conditions was detected, which was mainly attributed to the successful hybrid of foamed copper and polyimide.

A scalable versatile methodology to construct micro/nano open-cell polypropylene foam with high oil adsorption capacity and speed

Oil pollution is a serious environmental and natural resource problem.Traditional adsorption materials for oil–water separation have limitations in terms of their preparation cost,reusability,and mechanical properties.Among the conventional adsorption materials,super-hydrophobic/super-lipophilic materials are easily contaminated by oil.In this study,polypropylene(PP)is used as a foam substrate to prepare an open-cell PP foam via hot pressing,supercritical CO_(2) foaming,and electron beam(EB)irradiation.The impact of EB irradiation dose on the open-cell content of PP foam can lead to cell wall rupture,resulting in an open-cell structure that enhances oil-water separation performance.At an absorbed radiation dose of 200 kGy,the PP foams exhibit optimal oil–water separation performance,cyclic compression stability,heat insulation,and preparation cost.The open-cell content of PP foam is increased to 86.5%,the adsorption capacity for diesel oil is 42.8 g/g,and the adsorption efficiency remains at 99.6%after 100 cycles of oil desorption in a complex pH environment.Meanwhile,cracks and nano-voids simultaneously promote the capillary action of oil,and the oil transport rate is 0.0713 g/(g·s).This study provides a new concept for the preparation of open-cell polymer foams that can meet the demand for high oil-absorption capacity under complex acid-base pH conditions.

Electroless copper plating on microcellular polyurethane foam

In order to obtain substrates with good conductive foam for high porosity foam metal materials used in the metal electrodes,the technique of electroless copper plating on the microcellular polyurethane foam with pore size of 0.3 mm was investigated.The main factors affecting the deposition rate such as the solution composition,temperature,pH value and adding ultrasonic were explored.The results show that the optimum process conditions are CuSO4 16 g/L,HCHO 5 mL/L,NaKC4H4O6 30 g/L,Na2EDTA 20 g/L,K4Fe(CN)6 25 mg/L,pH value of 12.5-13.0 and temperature of 40-50℃.Under these technical conditions, the process has excellent bath stability.Adding ultrasonic on the process can elevate the deposition rate of copper by 20%-30%.The foam metal material with a porosity of 92.2%and a three-dimensional network structure,was fabricated by electro-deposition after the electroless copper plating.

Synthesis and characterization of copper foams through a powder metallurgy route using a compressible and lubricant space-holder material

In the present work,a compressible and lubricating space-holder material commonly known as "acrawax" was used to process Cu foams with various pore sizes and various porosities.The foams were processed without using binders to avoid contamination of their metal matrices.The lubricant space-holder material was found to facilitate more uniform flow and distribution of metal powder around the surface of the space holder.In addition,the use of acrawax as a space-holder material yielded considerably dense cell walls,which are an essential prerequisite for better material properties.The foams processed with a smaller-sized space holder were found to exhibit better electrical and mechanical properties than those processed with a coarser-sized space holder.The isotropic pore shape,uniform pore distribution throughout the metal matrix,and uniform cell wall thickness were found to enhance the properties pertaining to fine-pore foam samples.The processed foams exhibit properties similar to those of the foams processed through the lost-carbonate sintering process.

Research of Copper Foam Prepared by Forming-Knitting and Infiltration

Using forming-knitting technology and organic materials, copper foam with high porosity (>80%) and open-pore structure was successfully prepared. According to the method of immersion, the technical characteristics of metal paste performance and influence factors of sinter process were discussed. The pore morphology and compressibility of copper foam were detected simultaneously, and the structural property of copper foam prepared by the process of once-infiltrating was compared with the one of copper foam prepared by the process of twice-infiltrating. The results show that pH value of metal paste has a large influence on rheological properties of slurry. By twice-infiltrating process, the microstructure of copper foam was altered. In case of the porosity dropping indistinctly, the compression stress of copper foam platform was raised from 0.5 MPa to 1 Mpa which was of great significance to improve the energy absorption capacity of the material.

Enhanced Pool Boiling Heat Transfer on Copper Foam Welded Surfaces

Enhanced pool boiling heat transfer of the porous structure is critical to the thermal management technology.In this paper,pool boiling heat transfer experiments are performed on copper foam welded surfaces in de-ionized water to investigate the effects of basic parameters of copper foam on heat transfer enhancement.Boiling phenomenon is observed to facilitate the understanding of enhancement mechanism.The results show that copper foam welded surfaces can significantly enhance the pool boiling heat transfer performance,reduce the boiling incipience temperature by 7-9℃,and reach two times heat transfer coefficient compared with smooth plain surfaces due to numerous nucleation sites,extended surface areas,and enhanced turbulent effect.Pore density and thickness of foam have two side effects on heat transfer.

调控聚氨酯发泡材料中的热分布控制高温体积收缩和泡孔结构

为解决在烤漆等高温环境下,车内发泡材料因体积收缩(空隙)而导致的阻隔、缓震作用失效及行驶风噪等问题,以高导热铜粉为改性填料、软质和硬质聚氨酯发泡材料为基体,制备并研究了不同的聚氨酯/铜粉复合材料。结果发现:铜粉含量不仅能有效控制发泡材料在高温下体积收缩现象,且泡孔尺寸和发泡密度也能得到提高;当铜粉含量达到4 wt.%时,软质和硬质聚氨酯发泡材料的体积收缩率分别降低为6.56%和1.77%,发泡密度分别达到0.106 g/cm^(3)和0.171 g/cm^(3),发泡材料的吸水率降低50%左右。因此,添加铜粉后的聚氨酯发泡材料具有防潮和低体积收缩特性。

泡沫铜对密闭管道内合成气爆炸特性影响的实验研究

为研究泡沫铜孔隙密度和H2体积分数对合成气爆炸特性的影响,在封闭的管道中安装了孔隙密度为15、25和40 ppi的泡沫铜,实验分析了当量比为1的合成气-空气在不同H_(2)体积分数时的火焰结构、尖端速度和超压等参数变化规律。实验结果表明:火焰在泡沫铜上游的行为是受“郁金香”火焰形成过程的影响,泡沫铜对其没有影响。但是孔隙密度和H2体积分数的改变不仅会影响“郁金香”火焰的形成时间,还会影响变形“郁金香”火焰的形成。泡沫铜将火焰分割促使其从层流向湍流转化,对爆炸火焰传播起到加速作用。泡沫铜会引起管道内超压和火焰尖端速度的极大提升,且孔隙密度越小,H_(2)体积分数越大,火焰穿过泡沫铜后的最大火焰尖端速度越大,压力上升幅度越大,超压峰值越高。

泡沫铜导离气泡强化流动沸腾换热实验研究

流动沸腾作为一种高效的换热方法,被广泛应用于高热流设备的冷却。在流动沸腾换热过程中可通过设置多孔疏水结构促进沸腾气泡脱离,为强化沸腾换热提供新思路。在截面为6 mm×4 mm的矩形通道顶部添加浸润角为140°的多孔泡沫铜;并在液相入口温度70、75和80℃,流速为6.94、10.42和13.89 cm/s的不同工况下,观测通道内沸腾两相流流型变化以及泡沫铜的吸气过程对流动沸腾换热性能的影响;基于气泡受力分析获得泡沫铜吸气强化流动沸腾的换热机理。结果显示,在本实验工况范围内添加脱气泡沫铜后,壁面过热度下降可达20.7%;泡沫铜的吸气率为0.81时,热通量可提高至152%;增大入口流速,泡沫铜强化效果显著增大,而入口温度对泡沫铜的吸气效果影响不明显。

盐水微滴/泡沫铜复合体系中甲烷水合物生成动力学研究

提高海水水合储气速率和储气密度对水合物技术规模化应用至关重要。将一定浓度的NaCl溶液与疏水性气相纳米二氧化硅高速搅拌分散成微米级盐水微滴。8.0 MPa、274.15 K条件下,利用不同硅含量的盐水微滴进行水合储甲烷实验,研究甲烷水合物生成动力学特性。结果表明,硅含量2.5%(质量分数)的盐水微滴分散性和储气性能最佳,储气量达141.01 cm^(3)·cm^(-3),储气速率达7.37 cm^(3)·cm^(-3)·min^(-1)。进一步将该硅含量盐水微滴填充至开孔泡沫铜中,构建盐水微滴/泡沫铜复合水合储气体系。研究发现,泡沫铜三维巢状金属骨架能显著加速水合反应热的转移,提高微滴水合储气性能。5.0~8.0 MPa下,相较于盐水微滴单一体系,复合体系水合储气量提高4.72%~21.70%,最大储气速率提高38.25%~110.58%。