Overview of Composite Metal Foams and Their Properties and Performance

This paper reviews the background and evolution of composite metal foam (CMF) from its inception until now. A broad understanding of the processing and basic mechanical, microstructural, and physical properties of different types of composite metal foams is discussed in the first part of the paper. In the second part, some recent studies on high strain rate properties, ballistic performance, radiation attenuation, and thermal properties of composite metal foams are discussed and compared with other bulk and control materials. These properties suggest many potential applications for this novel material in a broad range of engineering structures from ballistic armors to trains', cars', buses', helicopters' crashworthiness systems, and many others such as nuclear casks and thermal insulating units.