Electrical Properties of Aluminium Foam

Abstract:

The study presents electrical performance metrics, especially, electrical resistivity, of aluminium based foams. They were fabricated by melt processing with cheap CaCO₃ blowing agent and compared to those produced commercially with an expensive TiH₂. Relatively ductile Al1Mg0.6Si alloy and high strength Al6Zn2.3Mg alloy comprising brittle eutectic domains were employed as matrix alloys for carbonate foams manufacture, whereas only aluminium was used for production of hydride foams. The important difference concerns test method procedure employed for measuring the electrical properties of the foams. The novel system equipped by novel instrument GOM 805 was developed and used for direct determination of electrical resistivity of the foams. In contrast, the known measurement of a thick metal foam sheet resistivity concerns a routine four-point probe technique. The specific electrical resistivity obtained for the experimental foams was compared and discussed with the published data of the foams manufactured by melt processing with TiH₂ of trade name Alporas^Ò and prepared by powder metallurgical technique with trade mark Alulight^Ò.It was established after comparative study that the present porous samples exhibit higher values of specific electrical resistivity then available in the market that may provide wider engineering application of the studied foams.

• Periodical: Solid State Phenomena (Volume 385)
• Pages: 63-67
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-ZNVCz2
• Online since: February 2026
• Authors: Oleksandra Byakova, Svyatoslav Gnyloskurenko*, Andrey Vlasov, Dmytro Kytranov, Vadim Tsivilitsin
• Keywords: Al-Based Foams, Calcium Carbonate, Electrical Properties, Melt Foaming

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