Light-as-air, stronger-than-steel materials are just beginning to shape our world. Foamed aluminum, developed at the Fraunhofer Institute in Bremen, Germany, first emerged from the lab in the frame of a 1998 Karmann concept car. Ten times stronger than traditional aluminum at just one-tenth the weight, the material allows a more fuel-efficient vehicle. Its isotropic cellular structure helps the frame absorb shock and serves as an insulating firewall between the engine and the rest of the car. The foaming process (www.materialconnexion.com) can also be applied to steel, lead, tin, and zinc.
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Welcome To The Foam Age
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