Abstract: A syntactic foam comprising hollow metallic shells and a solid metal foam matrix. The metal foam composites show high strength, particularly in comparison to previous metal foams, while maintaining a favorable strength to density ratio. The composite metal foams can be prepared by various techniques, such as powder metallurgy and casting or aspiration casting.

Abstract: A process for forming a shaped metallic article, including the steps of combining the starting materials, forming the starting materials into a shape to produce a nonmetallic metal precuror article of a certain geometry, and converting the nonmetallic article to a metallic article by reduction or decomposition, while substantially retaining the geometry of the nonmetallic article. The forming step in which the starting materials are fabricated into a shape can include extrusion, dry pressing, or slurry casting. Further, another embodiment is a metallic article produced by converting a nonmetallic article with a certain geometry, including a plurality of open-ended channels, substantially to the same geometry as the nonmetallic article from which it was converted.

Abstract: The present invention is for an improved aluminum alloy powder for making consolidated products with an improved combination of strength and ductility. The alloy is cast as ribbon or flake which subsequently pulverized.