Metal Foam

1
Metal Foam

• Ryan McDonough

2
What is Metal Foam

• An ultra high strength metal matrix composite
  foam.
• The material can be any type of metal
• Even though it is metal it has interconnecting
  hollow pores
• Strong, light and somewhat elastic

3
How it Works

• Today metal foam is thought to be used for bone
  implants
• With normally titanium rod implants the bone and
  the titanium rod have a different modulus of
  elasticity
• The metal foam and bone have the same modulus of
  elasticity
• Allows bone cells and blood vessels to grow into
  the pores of the metal foam
• Normal metal implants carry more of the weight of
  the body then the bone does and can cause the
  surrounding bone to die.

4
How its made

• There are 2 ways to make the metal foam
• 1) Salt mold-
• involves pouring large grained salt into a mold,
  then the salt is heated and put under pressure so
  they fuse together
• Molten metal is then poured in the mold and fills
  in the spaces between the salt grains
• It is then cooled and dunked in water to dissolve
  the salt leaving only the metal foam

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How its Made(continued)

• 2) Plaster mold-
• An open cell plastic foam is used to begin the
  process
• The foam is filled with a dissolvable plaster
  making plastic beams inside the plaster
• The mold is then heated which melts the plastic
• Molten metal is then squeezed into the plaster
  mold using high pressure and a vacuum
• The plaster is then dissolved and the foam is
  done

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Benefits/ Limitations

• Benefits
• Less likely for the bone to reject the implant
• Use less of whatever metal that is being used
• Limitations
• Takes a while to produce the foam
• The process is expensive
• Difficult to make

7
Sources

• Vendra, L. "New Material Mimics Bone to Create
  Better Biomedical Implants." Science Daily News
  Articles in Science, Health, Environment
  Technology. Science Daily, 16 Feb. 2010. Web. 19
  Nov. 2011. lthttp//www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2
  010/02/100216113603.htmgt.
• Michaels, Bob. "Composite Metal Foam Material
  Could Be Tomorrow's Knee Cap Qmed." Qmed
  Medical Device Industry Supplier Directory. Qmed,
  Apr. 2010. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. lthttp//www.qmed.com
  /mpmn/article/composite-metal-foam-material-could-
  be-tomorrows-knee-capgt.
• Rugani, Lauren. "Metal Foam Could Build Better
  Bones, Car Bumpers." Science 2.0 - The World's
  Best Scientists, the Internet's Smartest Readers.
  Science 2.0, 19 Feb. 2010. Web. 19 Nov. 2011.
  lthttp//www.science20.com/futuro/metal_foam_could_
  build_better_bones_car_bumpersgt.
• Kaiser, Tiffany. "Researchers Develop New
  Titanium Bone Implants." Daily Tech. Daily Tech,
  23 Sept. 2010. Web. 19 Nov. 2011.
  lthttp//www.dailytech.com/ResearchersDevelopNew
  TitaniumFoamBoneImplants/article19703.htmgt.
• Morton, Todd. "Titanium Foam Scaffolds Made to
  Match Bone's Properties." Ars Technica. Ars. Web.
  19 Nov. 2011. lthttp//arstechnica.com/science/news
  /2008/08/titanium-foam-scaffolds-made-to-match-bon
  es-properties.arsgt.
• "Metal 'foam' Developed for Bone Implants -
  UPI.com." Latest News, Latest News Headlines,
  News Articles, News Video, News Photos - UPI.com.
  UPI, 23 Sept. 2010. Web. 19 Nov. 2011.
  lthttp//www.upi.com/Science_News/2010/09/23/Metal-
  foam-developed-for-bone-implants/UPI-2490128529332
  5/gt.
• Curran, Dave. "People Dave Curran Metal
  Foams." Department of Materials Science
  Metallurgy, University of Cambridge. Web. 19 Nov.
  2011. lthttp//www.msm.cam.ac.uk/mmc/people/old/dav
  e/dave.htmlgt.