CREATE
  • Technology
    • BIOTECH
    • COMMUNICATIONS
    • COMPUTING
    • IMAGING
    • MATERIALS
    • ROBOTICS
    • SOFTWARE
  • Industry
    • DEFENCE
    • INFRASTRUCTURE
    • INNOVATION
    • MANUFACTURING
    • POLICY
    • PROJECTS
    • TRANSPORT
  • Sustainability
    • ENERGY
    • ENVIRONMENT
    • RESOURCES
  • Community
    • CULTURE
    • PEOPLE
  • Career
    • EDUCATION
    • LEADERSHIP
    • TRENDS
  • About
    • CONTACT
    • SUBSCRIBE
No Result
View All Result
CREATE
  • Technology
    • BIOTECH
    • COMMUNICATIONS
    • COMPUTING
    • IMAGING
    • MATERIALS
    • ROBOTICS
    • SOFTWARE
  • Industry
    • DEFENCE
    • INFRASTRUCTURE
    • INNOVATION
    • MANUFACTURING
    • POLICY
    • PROJECTS
    • TRANSPORT
  • Sustainability
    • ENERGY
    • ENVIRONMENT
    • RESOURCES
  • Community
    • CULTURE
    • PEOPLE
  • Career
    • EDUCATION
    • LEADERSHIP
    • TRENDS
  • About
    • CONTACT
    • SUBSCRIBE
No Result
View All Result
CREATE
No Result
View All Result
Home Technology Materials

Foam trumps metal at insulating against high heat

Create Digital by Create Digital
October 15, 2017
in Materials
1 min read
0
Foam trumps metal at insulating against high heat
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A new study finds that novel lightweight composite metal foams (CMFs) are significantly more effective at insulating against high heat than the conventional base metals and alloys.

The finding means the CMF is especially promising for use in insulating, storing and transporting nuclear material, hazardous materials, explosives and other heat-sensitive materials, as well as for space exploration.

“The presence of air pockets inside CMF make it so effective at blocking heat, mainly because heat travels more slowly through air than through metal,” said Afsaneh Rabiei, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at North Carolina State University.

The composite metal foam consists of metallic hollow spheres – made of materials such as carbon steel, stainless steel or titanium – embedded in a metallic matrix made of steel, aluminium or metallic alloys.

“We have developed two technologies for manufacturing CMFs,” she said.

“One is based on casting a low melting point matrix material, such as aluminium, around hollow spheres made of a material with a higher melting point, such as steel. This creates aluminium-steel CMFs, for example. The other technique is based on sintering, or baking, the matrix powder around prefabricated hollow spheres. This creates CMFs such as steel-steel, which consist of steel hollow spheres in a steel matrix.”

Rabiei said they already knew the impact and radiation properties of CMFs, but now they know they can withstand high heat.

“This difference in thermal conductivity means that the use of composite metal foams could help avoid circumstances where accidents can lead to explosions,” she said.

The CMF made entirely of stainless steel expands 80% less than bulk stainless steel at 200°C, the differential increases at higher temperatures, and it expands at a fairly constant rate when exposed to high heat – whereas conventional bulk metals and alloys expand more rapidly as temperature increases.

Tags: Create May 2016insulating materialslightweight materials
Previous Post

DIY-style kit makes drugs on demand for crisis situations

Next Article

Can video games improve motivation during patient rehab?

Create Digital

Create Digital

create tells the stories behind the latest trends, innovations and people shaping the engineering profession. Through our magazine, website, enewsletters and social media, we spread the word about all the ways engineers help create the world around us.

Related Articles

This technology helps protect its users from the effects of Australia’s scorching summer sun
Materials

This technology helps protect its users from the effects of Australia’s scorching summer sun

February 1, 2021
These nanomaterials turn motion into electricity, but putting them to use requires deft engineering
Materials

These nanomaterials turn motion into electricity, but putting them to use requires deft engineering

January 12, 2021
Dr Abdalla Ali is working on a new mesh scaffold for dental implants.
Materials

This engineer is developing a mesh scaffold that stimulates bone formation

October 28, 2020
Next Article
Can video games improve motivation during patient rehab?

Can video games improve motivation during patient rehab?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

WANT CREATE NEWS DELIVERED DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX? SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER.

By subscribing to create you are also subscribing to Engineers Australia content.
Please find our Terms and conditions here

Create Digital is powered by Engineers Australia, the trusted voice of the engineering profession. We are the global home for engineering professionals renowned as leaders in shaping a sustainable world.
  • ABOUT US
  • CONTACT US
  • SITEMAP
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS
  • SUBSCRIBE

© 2020 Create.

No Result
View All Result
  • Technology
    • BIOTECH
    • COMMUNICATIONS
    • COMPUTING
    • IMAGING
    • MATERIALS
    • ROBOTICS
    • SOFTWARE
  • Industry
    • DEFENCE
    • INFRASTRUCTURE
    • INNOVATION
    • MANUFACTURING
    • POLICY
    • PROJECTS
    • TRANSPORT
  • Sustainability
    • ENERGY
    • ENVIRONMENT
    • RESOURCES
  • Community
    • CULTURE
    • PEOPLE
  • Career
    • EDUCATION
    • LEADERSHIP
    • TRENDS
  • About
    • CONTACT
    • SUBSCRIBE