Foamability and compressive properties of AlSi7–3 vol.% SiC–0.5 wt.% TiH2 powder compact

This paper presents experimental results on the foaming behavior and compressive properties of AlSi7-3 vol.% SiC metal foam. Elemental powders of Al, Si, SiC and TiH2 were mixed, hot compacted and foamed at 750, 780 and 810 °C. It was shown that the addition of fine SiC particles (mean diameter of 3 μm) increases the melt expansion and improves the stability of AlSi7 foam. A less drainage in the cell structure was also noticed. Meanwhile, large irregular cells in the macrostructure and a slight degradation of the mechanical properties under compressive load were observed.