Solid Freeform Fabrication of low cost, in situ, metallic foam components for high energy absorption applications

In the phase I program, Advanced Ceramics Research, Inc. (ACR) fabricated in situ metallic foams by using a unique water-soluble polymer blend and ACR's Extrusion Freeform Fabrication (EFF) method. When the green parts were heated for binder burnout, thebinder was found to foam and create uniform closed, high-aspect ratio porosity. The freeform fabrication also could create open porosity ranging from 100-2000 m. The results so far have demonstrated the capability to create low cost, in situ,metallic foams with oriented microstructures. Since the extrusion is coupled with a freeform fabrication technique, the proposed technique can potentially yield geometrically complex metallic foam components directly from CAD files. This approach is notmaterial specific and could be used for a wide range of metals and alloys. Guidelines and procedures for optimizing the performance of metallic foams and a preliminary cost/economic analysis will be completed before the end of phase I program. Partners forcommercial and defense applications have been identified to assist ACR in commercializing the technology developed through the SBIR program. Phase II objectives include optimization of the dynamic mechanical properties of the metallic foams and fabricationof complex components for DOD and commercial partners for testing and evaluation.