Metal Foam Ryan McDonough. What is Metal Foam An ultra high strength metal matrix composite foam....

Metal Foam

Ryan McDonough

What is Metal Foam• An ultra high strength metal matrix

composite foam.• The material can be any type of metal • Even though it is metal it has

interconnecting hollow pores • Strong, light and somewhat elastic

How it Works• Today metal foam is thought to be used for bone implants

• With normally titanium rod implants the bone and the titanium rod have a different modulus of elasticity

• The metal foam and bone have the same modulus of elasticity

• Allows bone cells and blood vessels to grow into the pores of the metal foam

• Normal metal implants carry more of the weight of the body then the bone does and can cause the surrounding bone to die.

How its made• There are 2 ways to make the metal foam

• 1) Salt mold-

– involves pouring large grained salt into a mold, then the salt is heated and put under pressure so they fuse together

– Molten metal is then poured in the mold and fills in the spaces between the salt grains

– It is then cooled and dunked in water to dissolve the salt leaving only the metal foam

How its Made(continued)• 2) Plaster mold-

– An open cell plastic foam is used to begin the process

– The foam is filled with a dissolvable plaster making plastic beams inside the plaster

– The mold is then heated which melts the plastic

– Molten metal is then squeezed into the plaster mold using high pressure and a vacuum

– The plaster is then dissolved and the foam is done

Benefits/ Limitations

• Benefits– Less likely for the bone to reject the implant

– Use less of whatever metal that is being used

• Limitations– Takes a while to produce the foam

– The process is expensive

– Difficult to make

Sources• Vendra, L. "New Material Mimics Bone to Create Better Biomedical Implants." Science Daily: News & Articles in Science,

Health, Environment & Technology. Science Daily, 16 Feb. 2010. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100216113603.htm>.

• Michaels, Bob. "Composite Metal Foam Material Could Be Tomorrow's Knee Cap | Qmed." Qmed | Medical Device Industry Supplier Directory. Qmed, Apr. 2010. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. <http://www.qmed.com/mpmn/article/composite-metal-foam-material-could-be-tomorrows-knee-cap>.

• Rugani, Lauren. "Metal Foam Could Build Better Bones, Car Bumpers." Science 2.0 - ® The World's Best Scientists, the Internet's Smartest Readers. Science 2.0, 19 Feb. 2010. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. <http://www.science20.com/futuro/metal_foam_could_build_better_bones_car_bumpers>.

• Kaiser, Tiffany. "Researchers Develop New Titanium Bone Implants." Daily Tech. Daily Tech, 23 Sept. 2010. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. <http://www.dailytech.com/Researchers+Develop+New+Titanium+Foam+Bone+Implants+/article19703.htm>.

• Morton, Todd. "Titanium Foam Scaffolds Made to Match Bone's Properties." Ars Technica. Ars. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. <http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2008/08/titanium-foam-scaffolds-made-to-match-bones-properties.ars>.

• "Metal 'foam' Developed for Bone Implants - UPI.com." Latest News, Latest News Headlines, News Articles, News Video, News Photos - UPI.com. UPI, 23 Sept. 2010. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. <http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2010/09/23/Metal-foam-developed-for-bone-implants/UPI-24901285293325/>.

• Curran, Dave. "People | Dave Curran | Metal Foams." Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy, University of Cambridge. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. <http://www.msm.cam.ac.uk/mmc/people/old/dave/dave.html>.