Document Type : Research Article

Authors

• Zahra Daneshmandian ¹
• Mohammad Hossein Paydar ²

¹ Department of Materials Science and Eng., School of Eng., Shiraz University, Shiraz - Iran

² Shiraz University, Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Abstract

Iron foam has garnered significant attention across various industries, including automotive, aerospace, medical, and filtration, due to its unique properties. These properties include a high strength-to-weight ratio, excellent energy absorption, and effective sound and thermal insulation. This study evaluates the production of iron foams using the NaCl salt space-holder method. For this purpose, iron oxide powder was used as the raw material, and NaCl salt with a particle size smaller than 180 microns was used as the space-holder. To create a foam with 60% porosity by volume, iron oxide powder was mixed with a specific amount of NaCl space holder of a defined particle size, and the resulting mixture was compacted bidirectionally in a rigid mold under a pressure of 100 megapascals. An initial sintering process was conducted at 800°C for 2 hours. Subsequently, the salt was dissolved in water to extract it from the sample, followed by a final sintering process conducted at 950°C for 2 hours in a pure hydrogen atmosphere to reduce the iron oxide to iron metal. To evaluate the properties of the resulting foam, its microstructure was examined using an electron microscope, and its strength was assessed through compression testing. The results of this study indicated that the produced foam contained approximately 60% porosity with a relatively uniform distribution and was capable of absorbing energy up to approximately 25.35 MJ/m³.

Keywords

• Metallic Foam
• Iron
• NaCl
• Powder Metallurgy
• Space-holder

Main Subjects

• Powder metallurgy