Lehmhus Dirk, Vesenjak Matej, Schampheleire Sven de, Fiedler Thomas
ISIS Sensorial Materials Scientific Centre, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
MAPEX Center for Materials and Processes, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
Materials (Basel). 2017 Aug 8;10(8):922. doi: 10.3390/ma10080922.
Over the past two decades, a large number of metallic foams have been developed. In recent years research on this multi-functional material class has further intensified. However, despite their unique properties only a limited number of large-scale applications have emerged. One important reason for this sluggish uptake is their high cost. Many cellular metals require expensive raw materials, complex manufacturing procedures, or a combination thereof. Some attempts have been made to decrease costs by introducing novel foams based on cheaper components and new manufacturing procedures. However, this has often yielded materials with unreliable properties that inhibit utilization of their full potential. The resulting balance between cost and performance of cellular metals is probed in this editorial, which attempts to consider cost not in absolute figures, but in relation to performance. To approach such a distinction, an alternative classification of cellular metals is suggested which centers on structural aspects and the effort of realizing them. The range thus covered extends from fully stochastic foams to cellular structures designed-to-purpose.
在过去二十年里，大量金属泡沫材料被研发出来。近年来，对这类多功能材料的研究进一步加强。然而，尽管它们具有独特性能，但仅有有限的大规模应用出现。这种缓慢应用的一个重要原因是其成本高昂。许多泡沫金属需要昂贵的原材料、复杂的制造工艺，或两者兼而有之。人们已尝试通过引入基于更便宜成分的新型泡沫和新制造工艺来降低成本。然而，这常常产生性能不可靠的材料，阻碍了其全部潜力的发挥。本社论探讨了泡沫金属成本与性能之间的平衡，试图考虑成本并非绝对数值，而是与性能相关的情况。为实现这种区分，建议对泡沫金属进行一种替代分类，该分类以结构方面及其实现所需的努力为核心。如此涵盖的范围从完全随机泡沫到专门设计的蜂窝结构。
