Description
The creation of aluminum foam precursor particles by use of a blowing agent, Titanium Hydride, is examined. The production of these precursor particles is highly dependent on the mechanical milling process, and the use of a process control agent (methanol) during milling. The effects of the process control agent allow for faster milling times, and the achievement of micro-scale particle sizes is achieved. In addition, the foaming characteristics of these particles are explored in depth, with the comparison of foaming environments, air vs. argon. The argon foaming environment was found to yield better foaming characteristics than that of air. This study is the first to create individual micro-scale aluminum foam precursor particles, as previous studies focused on that of bulk powder compacts. The successful creation of the micron scale aluminum foam precursor particles opens doors for the creation of hybrid foams
