4. Conclusion

Numerous processes have been developed to produce metal foams. Although the foundations for most of these processes were laid fifty or more years ago, it was not until the last two decades that they were properly mastered. Today, they have reached the stage of maturity, characterized in particular by global mastery of the structures that can be produced.

Metal foams have a wide variety of morphological characteristics, closely linked to the processes used to produce them. Their metallurgical characteristics, such as their grade or the presence of particles within their solid phase, are also often conditioned by the process. The structure and metallurgical properties of a metal foam determine its potential fields of application and in-service performance. This aspect has been fundamental in the massive development of certain deposition processes, enabling the manufacture...