Eur. Phys. J. AP 14, 87-96 (2001)
https://doi.org/10.1051/epjap:2001141

Metallic foam processing from the liquid state

The competition between solidification and drainage

Department of Physics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland

Corresponding author: coxs@tcd.ie

Received: 20 September 2000
Revised: 29 January 2001
Accepted: 29 January 2001
Published online: 15 May 2001

Abstract

A model is developed to describe the formation of metallic foams in which liquid drainage acts to collapse the foam before it can freeze. Numerical solution of the foam drainage equation, combined with the equations of heat conduction, provides new insight into the competition between these two processes. It also stimulates and confirms a theoretical analysis which leads to criteria for creating uniform samples of frozen metal foam. The analysis suggests new experiments to clarify the role of the various processes leading to foam formation.