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DOI: 10.1016/j.jmapro.2015.08.006

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Role of fine size zircon sand ceramic particle on controlling the cell
morphology of aluminum composite foams
Suresh Kumar, O.P. Pandey ∗
Metallurgical Research Lab, School of Physics and Materials Science, Thapar University, Patiala 147004, Punjab, India

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: Composite foams exhibit unique properties such as light weight, blast palliation, sound absorption, high
Received 10 December 2014 energy absorption, and flame resistance. In the present investigation, role of fine size zircon sand ceramic
Received in revised form 12 August 2015 particle on controlling the cell morphology of LM13 alloy composite foams has been studied. For this pur-
Accepted 13 August 2015
pose LM13 piston alloy of near eutectic composition is used as foaming matrix material and zircon sand
Available online xxx
ceramic particles as reinforcement. Composite foam was developed by stir casting route at different tem-
peratures. Variation in microstructures of the composite foam is observed with the addition of zircon sand
Keywords:
ceramic particles and also with varying foaming temperatures. The results show that the cell morphology
Metal composite foam
CaCO3
parameters such as cell size, node and ligament length increases with increasing foaming temperature.
Cell size However, the addition of zircon sand ceramic particles leads to decrement in the ligament length with
Zircon sand increasing foaming temperature.
© 2015 The Society of Manufacturing Engineers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction controlled by the foaming process where viscosity of the aluminum

Metallic foams, as a new class of engineering materials, offer
a unique combination of properties such as low density, energy
absorption capability, high stiffness and strength. These improved
properties of the metallic foams make them highly desirable
materials for different engineering applications [1–4]. Recent
improvements in the production methods for metallic foams have
offered a variety of applications in different fields such as the auto-
mobile, railway and aerospace industries [5]. In these applications,
the composite foam is subjected to high-velocity deformations.
Miyoshi et al. [3] have shown the application of aluminum com-
posite foam as a functional material for sound and impact energy
absorption. Metallic foams are excellent impact energy absorber,
and they can convert impact energy into deformation energy
and absorb more energy than bulk metals at low stresses [4,6].
Main application of particle reinforced metallic composite foams
is in defence and is used as passive safety systems due to energy
absorption and dissipation properties of the foams. Both physical
and mechanical properties of aluminum composite foams are not
only controlled by composition of matrix and reinforcement but
are also significantly affected by cell structure of foam [6]. Ma and
Song [5] found that the Cell structure of aluminum foams can be
∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +91 1752393130; fax: +91 1752393005.
E-mail address: oppandey@thapar.edu (O.P. Pandey).
melt has be controlled by addition of Ca and continuous stirring of
the melt. The average cell diameter of aluminum foams decreases
with increasing viscosity of the melt. Many studies have been
carried out to optimize the microstructural properties of aluminum
foams as it influences the above said properties which are of at
most importance. This includes the cell wall thickness, node size,
ligament length and interdependent relationship of foam density
with cell size [4–6]. Since all these microstructural properties are
believed to originate from manufacturing condition of metallic
foams [3,7], it is of interest to modify the processing conditions in
order to achieve more uniform cell size distribution with reduced
morphological defects for better performance. The blowing agent
used for foaming decomposes in molten aluminum and generates
gas bubbles therein. However, to have a uniformity in structure, it
should generate the desired amount of gas bubbles of desired sizes
during the foaming process. Apart from this the molten aluminum
must possess a certain viscosity which is affected by the addition
of ceramics particles so that the generated gas bubbles are retained
in the aluminum matrix during solidification [8]. In this entire
process, temperature plays an important role.
Role of reinforcement of SiC on foam stability has been studied
by Prakash et al. [1] and also by Deqing and Ziyuan [9]. They have
controlled the stability of aluminum foam with the distribution of
SiC particles and the addition of higher content of SiC, increase the
brittleness nature of foam [9]. Mukherjee et al. [10] have studied the
affect of SiC on the microstructure, density, and strength of closed

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2015.08.006
1526-6125/© 2015 The Society of Manufacturing Engineers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Please cite this article in press as: Kumar S, Pandey OP. Role of fine size zircon sand ceramic particle on controlling the cell morphology
of aluminum composite foams. J Manuf Process (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2015.08.006
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Table 1
Composition of the LM13 alloy in wt.%.

LM13 alloy Si Fe Cu Mn Mg Zn Ti Ni Pb Sn Al

wt.% 11.8 0.3 1.2 0.4 0.9 0.2 0.02 0.9 0.02 0.005 Balance

cell foams using CaCO3 as foaming agent. The stability of foam gen-
erally depends on the wettability of ceramic particles along the
cell walls and nodes. The position of particles depends on the gas
pressure inside the bubble and viscosity of melt alloy which vary
with foaming temperature. For a liquid foam to become stable, the
liquid–gas interface must be altered either by introducing a surfac-
tant that reduces surface tension or by increasing the viscosity of
the surface layer [5].
Few literatures are available on the effect of foaming temper-
ature on the microstructure of the alloy foam [8,9]. It is reported
that in case of alloy foam, the porosity increases with increases in
foaming temperature [11,12]. However, in case of composite foam,
the microstructure is hardly affected due to addition of ceramic
particles in the melt alloy [13–15]. The fracture resistance and
damage tolerance of foamed parts can be significantly improved
with non-metallic reinforcement onto the foam surface. Moreover,
a comparative study on the microstructure of the alloy foam and
the corresponding composite foam which is affected by increase
in the foaming temperature is not available. The microstructure is
controlled by the process variables such as foaming temperature,
foaming agent, impeller design, impeller speed, size and volume
fraction of the solid particles during the foam making process. To
the best of our knowledge, till date no work is reported describing
the role of reinforcement of fine size ceramic particles on control-
ling the cell morphology of aluminum composite foams at different
foaming temperatures. The present study is aimed to investigate
the influence of fine size zircon sand ceramic particles on the cell
morphology of LM13 alloy composite foam at different foaming
temperatures using different size of CaCO3 powders as blowing
agent. In this present study, the porosity and foam quality has
been optimized to minimize the imperfections. The role of zircon
sand particles as reinforcing agent on stabilizing the foam has been
studied and compared with the obtained structure.
2. Experimental details
In the present work, Al–Si alloy (LM13 piston alloy) of near
eutectic composition is used as matrix material for the develop-
ment of foam. Fine grade blowing agent (CaCO3 ) was obtained
from S D Fine-Chem Limited, Mumbai (India). Zircon sand was
obtained from Indian Rare Earths Ltd Mumbai. The procured sand
was sieved with AS 200 RETSCH analytical vibratory sieve shaker.
Particles below 25 ␮m were used in the present work. The dis-
tribution of particles within the selected size range for blowing
agent (CaCO3 ) and zircon sand was further analyzed with the help
of CAMSIZER XT. 2 wt.% CaCO3 of particle size range 1–25 ␮m and
50–100 ␮m of sample-1 and sample-2, respectively, were used as
blowing agent. 5 wt.% zircon sand (ZrSiO4 ) of particle size range
(1–25 ␮m) is used as reinforcement. LM13 alloy was obtained in
the form of ingots. The chemical compositions of LM13 alloy and
zircon sand were done by wet chemical method, which is given
in Tables 1 and 2, respectively. Addition of zircon sand (1–25 ␮m)
was done to improve the mechanical properties of the LM13 alloy
Table 3
List of parameters of the developed metal foams.
List of parameters of the development of metal foams
Temperature at the time of addition of 750 ◦ C
zircon sand
Temperature at the time of addition of 800 ◦ C
blowing agent
Foaming temperature 850 ◦ C, 875 ◦ C and 900 ◦ C
Particle size of zircon sand 1–25 ␮m
Particle size of blowing agent 1–25 ␮m and 50–100 ␮m
No. of blades in stirrer 3
Blade angles of stirrer 45◦
RPM of stirrer 630
Height of the stirrer in the melt 2/3 Inside the melt
composite foams. Before charging, the blowing agent (CaCO3 ) and
zircon sand particles were preheated at 300 ◦ C to remove moisture
and other volatile substances. The composite foam was made by
stir casting route. For preparing the foam, the required quantity of
LM13 alloy was taken in a graphite crucible and melted in an electric
furnace. The temperature of melt was raised to 750 ◦ C. This molten
mass was stirred using a graphite impeller at a speed of 630 rpm
to create the vortex. After the formation of vortex in the melt,
blowing agent CaCO3 was added. However, for composite foam the
zircon sand particles were charged inside the vortex first at the
rate of 15–20 g/min. After the addition of the ceramic particles, the
blowing agent was added into the molten metal. To get uniform
dispersion of blowing agent particles, the molten metal was stirred
quickly by increasing the speed of impeller up to 650 rpm. The fur-
nace temperature was also increased and maintained at the desired
temperature for 5 min to allow CaCO3 to decompose. The released
gas forms bubbles. The foamed melt was removed from the furnace
and cooled in air. Table 3 shows the list of processing parameters
for the development of foam. Specimens from different parts of the
alloy foam as well as composite foam of 12 × 12 × 50 mm3 were
cut by diamond cutter. These specimens were further ground on
400 up to 800 grit papers and then polished with 0.5 ␮m diamond
polishing paste and etched by Keller’s reagent for microstructure
analysis. The density of the prepared composite foams was mea-
sured using Archimedes principle. The density of a foam material
is measured as mass per unit volume, which excludes all voids or
pores. A common way to measure the density of a closed cell foam
material is based on Archimedes principle, which states that a body
submerged in a fluid will be buoyed up by a force equal to the weight
of the fluid it displaces. Density () measurement of the foam was
carried out on the LM13 alloy foam and reinforced LM13 composite
foam samples using the Archimedes principle as given below.
m
= w (1)
m − mw
where m is the mass of the foam sample in air, mw is the mass of
the same foam sample in distilled water and w is the density of
the distilled water.
3. Results and discussion

Table 2 3.1. Role of particle size and shape on the decomposition rate of
Composition of the zircon sand (ZrSiO4 ).
blowing agent
Elements ZrO2 SiO2 TiO2 Fe2 O3

% in Bulk 65.30 32.80 0.27 0.12

The particle size distribution of the blowing agent (CaCO3 ) and
reinforced zircon sand particles was measured with the help of

Please cite this article in press as: Kumar S, Pandey OP. Role of fine size zircon sand ceramic particle on controlling the cell morphology
of aluminum composite foams. J Manuf Process (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2015.08.006
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100 100
Sample-1 Sample-2
90

80 80

70

Percentage by Volume
Percentage by Volume

round
60 60

50

40 40

30

20 20

10
non round
0
0
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0
0 1-5 5-10 10-20 >20-
Particle size (b/l)
Particle size range (μm)

Fig. 1. Graph showing particle size of sample-1 (blowing agent CaCO3 ) measured Fig. 4. Graph showing particle shape (breadth-to-length ratio) analysis graph of
with CAMSIZER XT. sample-2 (blowing agent CaCO3 ) measured with CAMSIZER XT.

50
ZrSiO4 (Reinforcement)

40

Percentage by Volume
30

20

10

0
1-5 50-10 10-15 15-20 20-25 25-30
Particle size range (μm)
Fig. 2. Graph showing particle shape (breadth-to-length ratio) analysis of sample-1
(blowing agent CaCO3 ) measured with CAMSIZER XT. Fig. 5. Graph showing particle size of zircon sand particle reinforcement measured
with CAMSIZER XT.

CAMSIZER XT and is shown in Figs. 1–4 for CaCO3 and for zircon
sand in Figs. 5 and 6. Blowing agent of the range 1–25 ␮m and
50–100 ␮m for sample-1 (Figs. 1 and 2) and sample-2 (Figs. 3 and 4),
respectively, were used. Simultaneously the shape of particles was
detected with the parameters describing the aspect ratio, i.e. width
over length (b/l), the sphericity and the symmetry. Figs. 2 and 4
show that 37% of sample-1 and 45% of sample-2 (blowing agent
CaCO3 ) have an aspect ratio smaller than or equal to 0.9, which
are nearly spherical. 61% of sample-1 and 52% of sample-2 particle
have aspect ratio from 0.6 to 0.9 which means these are triangu-
lar or asymmetrical particles. 2% of sample-1 and 3% of sample-2
particles have aspect ratio of less than 0.6 which means these are
elongated particles. Zircon sand particles used as reinforcement in
the size range of 1–25 ␮m contains 40% particles having size range
1–5 ␮m and 55% are of size range 11–25 ␮m. It is observed from
Fig. 6 that approximately 10% of zircon sand particles (with b/l ratio
<0.6) are elongated and 80% are asymmetrical/non round (with b/l
ratio 0.6 to 0.9) and only 10% samples (with b/l ratio >0.9) are spher-
ical. This variation in shape is true for all samples with in an error of
±5%. Decomposition rate of blowing agent CaCO3 is very important
factor during the development of foam. The decomposition rate of
CaCO3 depends on many factors such as temperature, holding time,
atmospheric pressure, particle size and shape. Decomposition rate
is increased with the decrease the particle size [16]. The sample-1

100
Sample-2 100
90
90
80
80
70
Percentage by Volume

round
70
Percentage by Volume

60
60
50
50
40
40
30
30
20
20
10
10
non round
0
0
0 1-50 50-100 100-150 150-200 200-250
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0
Particle size range (μ m) Particle Shape (b/l)

Fig. 3. Graph showing particle size of sample-2 (blowing agent CaCO3 ) measured Fig. 6. Graph showing particle shape of zircon sand particle reinforcement mea-
with CAMSIZER XT. sured with CAMSIZER XT.

Please cite this article in press as: Kumar S, Pandey OP. Role of fine size zircon sand ceramic particle on controlling the cell morphology
of aluminum composite foams. J Manuf Process (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2015.08.006
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with smallest particle size exhibits to have maximum decomposi-
tion rate in comparison to the sample-2 with larger particle sizes as
it depends on the surface area of the particles. Smaller particle size
tends to have large surface area that contributes to high efficiency of
heat transfer. It can accelerate the process by reducing the thermal
or heat resistance and other resistances such as mass transfer or gas
diffusion [17]. The cause of CO2 partial pressure can be neglected
in this study as the process was conducted at 850–900 ◦ C and at
this temperature the pressure is considered to be in equilibrium or
atmospheric pressure [18].
3.2. Structural analysis of LM13 alloy foam prepared at different
foaming temperatures
3.2.1. Effect on cell size morphology
The macrographs of LM13 alloy foams which were produced at
different foaming temperatures are shown in Fig. 7. It reveals wide
variation in cell structure with variation in foaming temperature.
As a result, the density, foaming efficiency, average cell size and cell
wall thickness of LM13 alloy foam changed as foaming temperature
was increased. Table 4 gives the change in the structural parameters
of LM13 alloy foam developed at different foaming temperature.
Fig. 7a shows the structure of foam developed at 850 ◦ C. It
depicts nearly uniform cell size, small size of node with large
ligament length. At this foaming temperature, there is nearly no
bubble-free zone, coarsening cell structure, and unfavorable curva-
ture in the alloy foam. Since the particle size of CaCO3 powder is fine
and has narrow range of size distribution so it is easily decomposed
into calcium oxide and carbon dioxide at 850 ◦ C. At this tempera-
ture, the equilibrium presence of carbon dioxide gas increases due
to the decrement in viscosity of the alloy [1] which is sufficient
enough for the foaming. The released carbon dioxide gas accelerates
and moves upwards, which causes bubble coalescence very rapidly.
The uniformity of final bubble size and the total volume of poros-
ity related to the carbon dioxide gas content in the melt alloy are
determined by the growth rate between a bubble and solid–liquid
interface [3].
Fig. 7b shows the resultant morphology of regularly shaped cells
as well as the overgrowth of some of the cells at 875 ◦ C foaming
temperature. As the temperature is increased the gas pressure also
increases. Formation of these cells is due to the uniform growth
as well as overgrowth of gas bubbles due to higher pressure. The
cell diameter decreases steeply above 850 ◦ C. Foaming tempera-
ture directly affects the surface tension of melt and the foaming
agent decomposition. Such a high decomposition rate is not desired,
because the excess gas released from the melt leads to the pro-
duction of irregularly shaped cells and overgrowth of some cells
of foamed aluminum [12]. These cells even got interconnected as
marked by dotted line arrow in Fig. 7b and also overgrowth as
encircled.
Further increment in the foaming temperature from 875 ◦ C to
900 ◦ C has led to rapid generation of carbon dioxide gas. Moreover,
the viscosity also decreased. The liquid film becomes thin. Con-
sequently most of the air bubbles formed in the melt was larger
in size and unstable. As they proceed upwards the top liquid pres-
sure decreases and the bubble burst on reaching at the melt surface
[13]. The cell wall becomes weak and collapses with high pressure.
The excess released gas escaping through the melt results in low
foaming efficiency [14,15]. This results in a total collapse of the
foamed structure and ultimately generates closely packed bubble
like structure of the foam having thicker walls as shown in Fig. 7c.
The structural analysis indicates that 850 ◦ C foaming temper-
ature is optimum. The microstructure of the alloy foams was
analyzed in terms of cell size distribution as determined by optical
micrograph which is shown in Fig. 7d. The most notable structural
feature of alloy foam is cell size and thinner cell faces at 850 ◦ C
Please cite this article in press as: Kumar S, Pandey OP. Role of fine size zircon sand ceramic particle on controlling the cell morphology
of aluminum composite foams. J Manuf Process (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2015.08.006
which has been shown by dotted line in the micrograph. Since
most of the CaCO3 particles are spherical and triangular type so
release of the CO2 gas in uniform throughout the melt. This leads
to development of uniform size cellular structure.
3.2.2. Effect on cell wall thickness
The densities of the tested composite foams varied in the range
of 0.6–0.9 g/cm3 . The density ratio of the foam and fully dense com-
posite has been used to describe the features of foam. The density
of the fully dense composite was taken as 2.88 g/cm3 . Most of the
cells in the foams observed are closed, and the mean cell sizes of the
foams display some difference depending on the level of porosity.
In order to have a close view of foaming temperature on the cell
wall thickness, node size and ligament length of the LM13 alloy
foams different areas of foam was analyzed critically. A represen-
tative structure is also shown in Fig. 8a–c. Node size and ligament
length of the LM13 alloy foam decreased but cell wall thickness
increased with the increasing temperature from 850 ◦ C to 900 ◦ C.
At 850 ◦ C cell wall thickness, node size and ligament length of the
LM13 alloy foams is as shown in Fig. 8a. At this foaming temper-
ature, alloy slurry is of lower viscosity. As a consequence, balance
between gas pressure and the surface tension helps in the easier
drawing of liquid material to cell wall intersections that causes the
thinner cell walls. With the change of temperature from 850 ◦ C to
875 ◦ C, cell size, node size and ligament length of the LM13 alloy
foams is decreased due to the increase in the temperature because
of decrease in viscosity [8,13]. The higher rate of gas release into the
melt breaks the cell walls and allows the collapse of smaller cells
and formation of bigger cells on the surface of the melt as can be
observed in Fig. 8b where two sizes of cells are visible. At 900 ◦ C the
cell wall thickness of the sample foam is increased but cell size, node
size and ligament length decreases with increase in the tempera-
ture from 875 ◦ C to 900 ◦ C, as shown in Fig. 8c. The phenomenon of
collapsing observed at this temperature is on higher side as shown
in circle in Fig. 8c. Fig. 8d shows the optical micrograph of foam
prepared at temperature 850 ◦ C. The air trapped in the liquid foam
at the increased temperatures is responsible for the cell size reduc-
tion due to its more expansion which makes the cell wall larger.
However, the increase in the cell wall thickness is caused mainly
due to increase in the viscosity of the LM13 alloy melt. Moreover,
at certain areas it leads to rapture of cell wall also (Fig. 8d).
3.3. Structural analysis of ceramic particle reinforced composite
foam at different foaming temperatures
3.3.1. Effect on cell size morphology
Fig. 9 shows the microstructure of composite foam prepared
at different foaming temperatures (850 ◦ C, 875 ◦ C and 900 ◦ C).
At 850 ◦ C, addition of 5 wt.% ceramic particle in the melt alloy,
increases the viscosity of the melt. At this condition, the pres-
sure of released gas during decomposition of the CaCO3 is lower
as compared to in base LM13 alloy. This gas expands in the liq-
uid metal and creates bubble like structure on the surface of the
melt, forming liquid foam which is stabilized by the presence of
solid ceramic particles on the gas liquid interfaces of the cell walls
[14,15]. Table 5 gives the variation in the structural parameters of
LM13/Zr composite foam developed at different foaming tempera-
tures. The cell size of the LM13 alloy composite foam is decreased
with decreasing pressure of released gas and increasing viscosity
of melt which is shown in Fig. 9a. At 850 ◦ C, 2 wt.% blowing agent
with 5 wt.% ceramic particles did not produce sufficient pressure
for making uniform cell size composite foam (Fig. 9a). It is worth
noting that the increment in the foaming temperature (from 850 ◦ C
to 875 ◦ C) leads to increased in the cell size of the LM13 alloy com-
posite foam as the viscosity of melt decreased which is shown in
Fig. 9b. Two neighboring bubbles in the melt are separated by a
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Fig. 7. Macroscopic images of aluminum alloy foam with 2 wt.% blowing agent CaCO3 (sample-1) at (a) 850 ◦ C, (b) 875 ◦ C (c) 900 ◦ C and (d) optical image of aluminum alloy
foam 850 ◦ C.

Table 4
Effect of the foaming temperature on the cell parameters of LM13 alloy foam evolved with fine size blowing agent (sample-1).

LM13 alloy foam Foaming temperature (◦ C) Density (g/cm3 ) Average cell size (mm) Average cell wall thickness (␮m) Average ligament length (mm)

Sample-A 850 0.62 0.62 150 0.40

Sample-B 875 0.69 0.69 200 0.25
Sample-C 900 0.90 0.90 300 0.15

Standard deviation 0.145 0.629 76.376 0.125

Standard deviation mean 0.736 3.083 216.666 0.266

liquid film in the liquid foam. The liquid film tends to flow due to
surface tension [16]. Evidently, the node size, and ligament length
of both are increased with the increase in cell size [19]. Further-
more, the change of the foaming temperature seems to have less
effect on the ligament length and node size than on cell size of the
aluminum cells. The results indicate that the gas flow rate changes
the cell size because of addition of ceramic particles. Considering
the fact that size of ceramic particles varies so they may occupy
the area on cell walls and also at triple point (node). Since fine
size particles can be easily dragged by upcoming gas so they may
occupy the cell wall area and bigger size particles may move toward
the corner because of their heavy size and also because of contours
followed by upcoming gas. It is interesting to note that fluid follows
the counter and as per Coanda effect [20] so this type of distribu-
tion is possible. This may lead to variation in cell size, node size
and ligament length of the LM13 alloy composite foams. In the
presence of the ZrSiO4 particles the produced liquid foam becomes
stable so the structure can be easily manipulated. With increas-
ing in foaming temperature (900 ◦ C), the rate of decomposition of
CaCO3 becomes higher so the equilibrium carbon dioxide gas pres-
sure also increases. Due to decrement in the viscosity of the alloy
melt and increment in the decomposition rate of blowing agent
the cell formation becomes easier [1,13]. This is responsible to gen-
erate uniform cell size for stable foaming of the composite slurry

Table 5
Effect of the foaming temperature on the cell parameters of LM13/5 wt.%Zr composite foam evolved with fine size blowing agent (sample-1).

LM13 alloy foam Foaming temperature (◦ C) Density (g/cm3 ) Average cell size (mm) Average cell wall thickness (␮m) Average ligament length (mm)

Sample-D 850 0.65 3.0 175 0.35

Sample-E 875 0.86 3.6 325 1.2
Sample-F 900 0.80 3.2 250 0.75

Standard deviation 0.108 0.305 75.00 0.425

Standard deviation mean 0.770 3.266 250.00 0.766

Please cite this article in press as: Kumar S, Pandey OP. Role of fine size zircon sand ceramic particle on controlling the cell morphology
of aluminum composite foams. J Manuf Process (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2015.08.006
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Fig. 8. Macroscopic image of 2 wt.% CaCO3 (sample-1) showing variation in cell wall thickness and node size of the aluminum foams processed at (a) 850 ◦ C, (b) 875 ◦ C, (c)
900 ◦ C and (d) optical image of cell ligament length aluminum alloy foam at 850 ◦ C showing rapture of cell wall with variation in thickness.

Fig. 9. Macroscopic images of aluminum composite foam with 2 wt.% blowing agent CaCO3 (sample-1) at (a) 850 ◦ C, (b) 875 ◦ C, (c) 900 ◦ C and (d) optical image of aluminum
composite foam at 900 ◦ C.

Please cite this article in press as: Kumar S, Pandey OP. Role of fine size zircon sand ceramic particle on controlling the cell morphology
of aluminum composite foams. J Manuf Process (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2015.08.006
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Fig. 10. Macroscopic image of 2 wt.% CaCO3 (sample-1) showing variation in cell wall thickness and node size of the aluminum composite foams processed at (a) 850 ◦ C, (b)
875 ◦ C, (c) 900 ◦ C and (d) optical image of cell ligament length aluminum composite foam at 900 ◦ C.

(Fig. 9c). The wettability of the ceramic particles by the alloy melt is
not the only dominating factor but also to provide the stability for
the foam which is greatly dependent on the drainage and rupture
of the cell wall separating the gas bubbles. The role of the particles
on the drainage and rupture process affects the foam stability. The
higher viscosity is responsible to slow down the liquid flow which
retards the cell wall drainage before it solidifies during the addition
of ceramics particles in the alloy melt [13]. Apart from their effect on
melt viscosity, the ceramic particles have an important impact on
foam stability through their attachment to the gas–liquid interface,
which changes the interfacial curvatures and reduces the capillary
pressure difference between the plateau border and the cell wall
of the aluminum composite foam. It is apparent from the micro-
structures of the produced foams that the cell size and cell wall
thickness of the ZrSiO4 based foams is significantly smaller which
is shown in Fig. 9d. The distance between cell to cell, shape and size
of cell is clearly shown in optical micrographs of composite foam
at 850 ◦ C.
3.3.2. Effect on cell wall thickness
The cell size of the LM13 alloy composite foam got increased
with increasing rate of CO2 release which is dependent on the
decomposition rate of CaCO3 . At 850 ◦ C foaming temperature, the
2 wt.% CaCO3 foaming agent results in a much smaller cell size
in comparison to the larger cell size produced at 875 ◦ C foaming
temperature as can be seen in Fig. 10a and b. The increase in the
thickness of the cell wall at foaming temperature of 875 ◦ C with
addition of ceramic particles implies that the viscosity of the com-
posite melt is becoming higher. Moreover, the increase in cell wall
thickness also means that more aggregation of particles in the
particle–liquid creates a more tortuous path for the liquid and acts
as a liquid flow barrier from the cell wall toward the plateau border
[15,19]. The retardation in cell wall drainage, results the increment
in cell wall thickness. Therefore, it can be said that the increase in
foaming temperature from 875 ◦ C to 900 ◦ C during the preparation
of the LM13 alloy composite foams has a great effect on the cell
size. Fig. 10a–d shows the cell wall thickness and node size of the
LM13 alloy composite foams prepared with different foaming tem-
perature. The effect of the higher rate of gas release at 2 wt.% CaCO3
on cell wall thickness and node size are shown in Fig. 10c where
the cell size, cell wall thickness and node size are decreased due
to the excess of gas released by blowing agent because at this con-
dition the viscosity of melt is decreased. The thinner cell wall and
node size in contrast with higher rate of gas release at 900 ◦ C with
2 wt.% CaCO3 is observed in Fig. 10c as compared to other foam-
ing temperature (850 ◦ C and 875 ◦ C). However, the decrease in the
cell wall thickness is caused mainly by decreasing the viscosity of
the composite slurry due to higher foaming temperature. At 850 ◦ C
foaming temperature, the node size of the cell is larger. The foam
does not coalesce to form a bigger bubble even it comes into contact
with other foam during its floatation to the surface of the melt due
to lower viscosity. Higher rate of release of gas may cause its colli-
sion. In turn it may also help in raising the ceramic particle upwards
and ultimately to cell walls [21]. In addition, the cell uniformity
as well as cell size, node and structure are also important factors
determining the properties of foam. The characteristics of cell may
be quite different in foam metals produced by different processes,
thus resulting in different mechanical properties. Therefore, it is
not suitable to compare the data of mechanical properties for foams
obtained by different process, even for the same cell wall material.
The mechanical properties of foam materials are related not only
to the properties of cell wall material but also the cell geometry.

Please cite this article in press as: Kumar S, Pandey OP. Role of fine size zircon sand ceramic particle on controlling the cell morphology
of aluminum composite foams. J Manuf Process (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2015.08.006
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Fig. 11. Macroscopic images of aluminum composite foam with 2 wt.% blowing agent CaCO3 (sample-2) at (a) 850 ◦ C, (b) 875 ◦ C, (c) 900 ◦ C and SEM image of 900 ◦ C.

The improvement in the cell geometry, such as node size, ligament
length, cell uniformity and distribution (Tables 4 and 5), may lead
to improvement in the mechanical properties [1].
The experimental results show that the increase in foaming tem-
perature with addition of ceramic particles in LM13 alloy composite
foams decreases the cell wall thickness. These experimental results
indicate that foaming temperature on decomposition rate of blow-
ing agent is responsible to change the morphology and structure of
the closed cell composite foams.
3.3.3. Structural analysis of composite foam with different size
and shape of blowing agent
Due to dependency of the particle size of blowing agent and
temperature on decomposition rate of blowing agent, the bubble
formation was optimized. Structural feature of foam obtained from
higher particle size of foaming agent is shown in Fig. 11. Table 6
gives the variation in the structural parameters of LM13/5 wt.% Zr
composite foam developed at different size and shape of blowing
agent. The gas bubbles could float toward the melt surface where
liquid aluminum foam is generated. At 850 ◦ C, decomposition rate
decreases when particle sizes of blowing agent increases [16]. The
foaming temperature was kept around 850 ◦ C. At this temperature,
the pressure and flow rate of the blowing gas is not sufficient for the
formation of uniform pore size in liquid aluminum, which is shown
in Fig. 11a. The pressure and flow rate of gas in liquid aluminum
depends on the viscosity of liquid, surface tension, feeding rate of
blowing agent, and its particle size and amount. When the foaming
temperature was increased from 850 ◦ C to 875 ◦ C, decomposition
rate of blowing agent increases and viscosity of the melt mate-
rial decreases. The pressure and flow rate of gas also increases. At
this particular temperature, middle expansion, maximum expan-
sion and cell collapsing can create an interruption during foaming
process. It is clear that the foaming temperature as well as size of
blowing agent affect the foam expansion and cell structure [19].
Aluminum composite foam at low temperature (850 ◦ C) as shown
in Fig. 11a, exhibits the presence of a very thick cell wall of com-
posite foam which is observed due to a very low level of expansion
because the decomposition rate of coarse size of blowing agent
is low. The coarse size blowing agent generates typical elongated
structure in normal expansion and collapse processes at 875 ◦ C. A
large number of small cells grow and coalesce to form a few large
cells as can be seen in Fig. 11b. The maximum expansion of compos-
ite foam occurred due to the high decomposition rate of blowing
agent, less viscosity and less surface tension of liquid at 900 ◦ C,
which is shown in Fig. 11c. At this temperature, the cell face thin-
ning has occurred which is a consequence of a capillarity-driven
melt flow from the ligament length to cell node. The average cell
size of composite foams is similar, as shown in Fig. 11d. The max-
imum expansion of the composite foam was not achieved. The
composite foams have higher number of circular pores than the
pure Al foams, as shown in Fig. 11d, indicating more uniform cell
structure of the composite foams. The improvement in foam struc-
ture is obtained by the increment in viscosity and surface tension,
due to the presence of zircon sand particles in ligament length and
cell walls that leads to a reduction in the rate of drainage and cell
coalescence. The cell face can either rupture when a critical cell
face thickness is reached or the drainage process can cease when
other forces, opposing the flow, operate in the cell face material.
The experimental results clearly show that roll of particles size and
shape can have a pronounced stabilizing effect on the metal foam
and composite foam structure evolution. This is especially likely
be the case when the particle size of blowing agent is changed. All
the structural parameters are affected by the change in the par-
ticle size of blowing agent, foaming temperature and addition of

Please cite this article in press as: Kumar S, Pandey OP. Role of fine size zircon sand ceramic particle on controlling the cell morphology
of aluminum composite foams. J Manuf Process (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2015.08.006
 G Model
JMP-362; No. of Pages 9 ARTICLE IN PRESS
S. Kumar, O.P. Pandey / Journal of Manufacturing Processes xxx (2015) xxx–xxx
Table 6
Effect of the foaming temperature on the cell parameters of LM13/5 wt.% Zr composite foam evolved with coarse size blowing agent (sample-2).
LM13 alloy foam Foaming temperature (◦ C) Density (g/cm3 )
Sample-G 850 0.78
Sample-H 875 0.89
Sample-I 900 0.92
Standard deviation 0.073
Standard deviation mean 0.863
ceramics particle as reinforcement. It should be noted that the cell
face thinning rate is further accelerated by face stretching in foams
experiencing expansion during increase foaming temperature. The
main parameters controlling the evolution are the melt viscosity
and surface tension, processing time (both melt foaming and solid-
ification), type of particles and their interaction with a liquid metal.
It has been highlighted in this work that a complex approach is
required for the optimization of these parameters to produce a
synergistic contribution allowing better control of the foaming pro-
cess such as certain porosity and cell size morphology that can be
achieved by relatively cheap particles with a non-ideal shape but a
suitable size.
4. Conclusion
In this work, the factors which are affected by the foaming tem-
perature on alloy foam and composite foams were investigated. The
conclusion drawn from above work is as follows:
1. The foaming temperature for alloy foam and composite foams
influence the cell geometry which ultimately generates different
structures.
2. The addition of zircon sand particles influence the foaming tem-
perature and viscosity for the internal diffusion pressure of the
melt material.
3. The density of LM13 alloy foam with addition of fine grade blow-
ing agent increases from 0.62 g/cm3 to 0.90 g/cm3 and cell size
decreases with increase foaming temperature from 850 ◦ C to
900 ◦ C.
4. The cell size of LM13 alloy composite foam with addition of fine
grade blowing agent increases but the effect of coarse grade
blowing agent is vice versa when the foaming temperature
increases from 850 ◦ C to 900 ◦ C.
5. The optimized condition of foaming temperature for composite
foam containg 5 wt.% zircon sand and alloy foams are 875 ◦ C and
850 ◦ C, respectively, when 2 wt.% CaCO3 as foaming agent having
narrow particle size (1–25 ␮m) has been used. Cell size of the
sample foamed increases with increasing particle size of blowing
agent.
6. By properly controlling the foaming temperature and zircon
sand content of the melt, which is different for alloy and com-
posites, it is possible to optimize the condition to get uniform
size foams heaving high porosity.
7. The increases in foaming temperature and gas flow rate enlarge
the cell size and decrease the cell wall thickness due to the dif-
ference pressure between cell wall and node.
Please cite this article in press as: Kumar S, Pandey OP. Role of fine size zircon sand ceramic particle on controlling the cell morphology
of aluminum composite foams. J Manuf Process (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2015.08.006
View publication stats
9
Average cell Average cell wall Average ligament
size (mm) thickness (␮m) length(mm)
3.6 285 1.55
3.1 255 1.1
3.0 170 0.90
0.321 59.651 0.332
3.233 236.666 1.183
Acknowledgments
The authors are thankful to Armament Research Board (ARM-
REB), Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Defence
Research and Development Organization (DRDO), India for provid-
ing financial support under the letter no. ARMREB CDSW/2012/148
for this study.
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