VFT: The Novel Vacuum Foaming Technology for Mg-Foams

摘要

A new foaming process for light metal melts, the vacuum foaming technique (VFT), is introduced and compared to other foam material alternatives for lightweight hybride structures. In such structures foams are mostly introduced into extruded profiles or into castings as permanent cores, but may also be used as independent structural parts joined to lightweight components. In any of these cases it is necessary to produce light metal foams with closed skins for joining by casting or adhesive bonding. The VFT an improved process offers the possibility to produce such foam parts at low cost for cost efficient lightweight structures, by utilizing recycling scrap as precursor material. This is shown for magnesium scrap in detail.