Preparation and Compression Behavior of High Porosity, Microporous Open-Cell Al Foam Using Supergravity Infiltration Method

By employing a method that combines a NaCl compacting template and supergravity infiltration, open-cell aluminum (Al) foam with varying porosities was prepared. The Al foam fabricated has a pore size of 400 µm and porosity ranging from 0.72 to 0.88. The experimental results indicate that, with an increase in compaction pressure during the NaCl compacting process, the porosity of the foam Al increases and the struts become finer. As the gravity coefficient increases, the density and integrity of the foam Al also increase. Due to the effectiveness of supergravity in overcoming the infiltration resistance between the NaCl preform and molten Al, the supergravity infiltration method holds promise as a practical new technique for fabricating high-porosity open-cell Al foam.