Porous Metals – Sponges and Lattices

1. Porous Metals – Sponges and Lattices Dr Russell Goodall Sponge Metals @ Sheffield – SM@Sh

DSTL visit, 5th September 2012

2. Sponge Metals

• Applications include: Lightweight structures, impact
resistance, heat transfer
• Made by a simple process - Replication
DSTL visit, 5th September 2012

3. Sponge Metals

Ti foam
Al foams
20 mm
Mg foam
DSTL visit, 5th September 2012
10 mm

4. Lattices

Methods such as Additive Layer
Manufacturing are suitable for
regular lattices (Mercury Centre)
DSTL visit, 5th September 2012

5. Lattices - impact resistance

With colleagues in Civil & Structural Engineering we are
examining the impact properties of these materials
(CDE project DSTLX1000054230 - Spatial and Temporal Spreading
of Mine Loading Using Micro-Structured Truss Material)
DSTL visit, 5th September 2012

6. Lattices – other properties

• Tailoring structure allows interesting
behaviours to be designed in – e.g
auxetic materials
• Multimaterial structures would
allow even more - controlled CTE,
etc
R Lakes, Science 235
(1987) 1038
R Lakes, Applied Physics Letters 90
(2007) 221905
DSTL visit, 5th September 2012