| Subject: |
Aluminum Foam |

Related Information
 Aluminum foam video
view an interview and demo with Alcoa scientists Scott Harris and Dan Bryant
 Aluminum foam white paper
download
|
 Company/organization(s): |
Alcoa Technical Center |
| Location: |
Pennsylvania, USA |
| Summary: |
Not all aluminum is as easy to recycle as aluminum cans. Alcoa scientists have found a way to recycle aluminum scrap that previously had no use—into an 'aluminum foam' that has great potential as a sustainable building material. |
Alcoa is currently determining the technical and economic feasibility of producing porous aluminum products using low value scrap as feedstock material. The goal is to create a new aluminum product using low cost aluminum scrap that is competitive with existing materials in cost and performance, providing continuous production of a sheet product with cell size less than 1 mm.
Aluminum Foam:
- An aluminum matrix with voids (cells)
- Cells about 0.5 to 5.0 mm diameter
- 90% to 70% density reduction relative to aluminum
- Potential applications as low-cost honeycomb-type structures
- High mechanical energy absorption
- High rigidity
Benefits
- Fire Resistant
- Heat Resistant
- Moisture Resistant
- Resistant to mildew, fungus and bacteria
- Impact Resistant
- Rigidity
- Sound absorption
- Noise & vibration damping
- Electromagnetic wave blockage
- Lightweight
- Recyclable
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