Foams with guest phases: multifunctional foam materials from multiphase composite materials

Abstract

Foam materials have characteristics that make them especially suitable for a multitude of technological applications. Currently, one of the most widespread techniques for the manufacture of foam materials consists of manufacturing a composite material formed by a matrix and inclusions of a certain nature, which can be afterwards eliminated under controlled conditions (dissolution, chemical reaction, etc.). This method is known as replication and leads to interconnected pore foams. So far, for more than 50 years since its original patent, the replication method has allowed the generation of foams of metals, polymers and even mesophase pitch, from which it has been possible to obtain high-performance graphite foams. The functionality of the foam materials that have been manufactured so far depends on the material from which the foam is made, as well as the size, shape and size distribution of its pores. Recently the author of the present work has developed a new family of multifunctional materials, formed by interconnected pore foams obtained from composite materials by the replication method in which in the pore cavities there are host phases that give different functionalities to the material. The present work presents preliminary results obtained from aluminum foams with guest phases of silicon carbide (SiC) particles for thermal management applications.