About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2027 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Materials and Manufacturing in Space
|
| Presentation Title |
Investigation of Metal Foam Expansion Under Variable Pressure in a Drop Tower |
| Author(s) |
Neelabh Menaria |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Neelabh Menaria |
| Abstract Scope |
Metal foams are multifunctional materials with significant potential for space applications due to their excellent energy absorption and insulation. Their processing is strongly influenced by environmental factors, such as ambient pressure and gravity, making it essential to understand foam evolution under extraterrestrial conditions to enable in-space manufacturing. This study investigates the combined effect of variable ambient pressure and microgravity on the expansion of metal foam using a drop tower, a ground-based microgravity platform. A novel setup is designed and fabricated to perform metal foaming experiments under both reduced (<1 bar) and elevated (>1 bar) pressure conditions in a drop tower. Ground-test (1g) results are compared with those obtained in the drop tower (μg) to quantify the effects of variable ambient pressure and microgravity on foam expansion. This study contributes to the development of processing strategies for manufacturing high-quality metal foams in extraterrestrial environments. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |