Fluffy "Fe"

Uniform bubbles enhancing metal strength: Metal Foam

When you think of a metal, you probably aren't going to think of something that can be squished.

That was then, this is Metal Foam. The material that could replace modern steel in nearly every aspect.

The concept of air pockets in metal materials has been around for a while, making use of the voids within the material to make the metal more elastic. But just last month, a new discovery was made that can make this already useful material even better.

Bridgette Meinhold of Inhabitat said that the discovery was made at North Carolina State University. Dr. Afsaneh Rabiei, head of the project, has devised what is being called "the strongest metal foam ever.". The trick, as she put it, is to keep a uniform distance between the air pockets to create a greater overall strength.

Able to withstand up to 80% compression while retaining its original shape as well as its lightweight qualities, the possibilities for this new material are numerous. John Farrier of Neatorama noted from Dr. Rabiei a potential use of her metal foam. If used as the bumper for a car, a vehicle collision at 28mph would feel like a bump at 5mph.

This lightweight and flexible metal has other important uses that extend beyond car parts. Its maleable quality would make for a welcomed material for use in surgical replacement surgeries. Also, Steve Tarlow of Personal Money Store thinks that if the buildings in Haiti were built using metal foam, destruction and death tolls would have been drastically reduced.

Live Science has a video that covers Dr. Rabiei and her metal foam.