Enhancing the multifunctionality of open-cell foams through tailoring their thermal and mechanical properties using coatings

Abstract

Hybrid coated open-cell foams have been proposed as an economical solution for obtaining tailored and application-optimized properties. These hybrid foams integrate commercially available metallic foams or cellular metallic solids with metallic coatings of different constituents and thicknesses to realize tailored elastic, yield, and thermal properties that can satisfy the needs of a wide range of multifunctional applications. This work aims to explore the range of tailored properties that can be obtained using a hybrid foam system that comprises copper coatings and the widely available aluminum open-cell foams. The elastic, plastic, and thermal conductive properties of the considered hybrid foam system are determined using computational tools for a range of porosities and coating thicknesses. Results show that the hybrid foam system can deliver significantly higher stiffness, yield strength, and thermal conductivity than its aluminum foam substrate. In few of the studied configurations, the stiffness and thermal conductivity of the hybrid foam system exceeded those of its aluminum foam substrate by more than 100%. Relative improvement in the hybrid foam properties correlated nonlinearly with the porosity of its aluminum foam substrate. Semi-empirical models were developed to predict the properties of hybrid coated open-cell foams. These models can assist engineers in selecting the hybrid foam parameters, such as coating constituent material and thickness, needed to obtain tailored elastic, yield strength, and thermal conductivity.