Structure and distribution of oxides in aluminium foam

Foaming of aluminium is investigated under oxidizing and non-oxidizing gas atmospheres. Foams were prepared by mixing and pressing Al99.95 and TiH2 powders and foaming the pressed material in a gas-tight X-ray transparent furnace while following the process by X-ray radioscopy. The structure and distribution of the oxides present in the powders, precursors and foams were studied by light microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Sequential focused ion beam slicing was used to obtain tomographic images of oxide and micropore distributions within the individual cell walls of the foams. A complex hierarchical structure of the oxides is found. Oxides reside in the bulk of the cell walls without a pronounced segregation to the gas/metal interfaces. The presence of air retards foaming due to oxidation of the outer surface.