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Public release date: 1-Feb-1999
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In the movie The Graduate, Dustin Hoffman's character is told one word for the future: "Plastic." Today, a new class of materials based on metal foams promises to be as revolutionary as plastic was in the 1970s. Researchers sponsored by the Office of Naval Research have developed cost-effective methods for manufacturing ultralight porous metals that may be used in structural, blast suppression, thermal dissipation, fluidics, and other applications. These porous metals are lightweight, extremely heat resistant, and strong in three dimensions. Possible future applications include cooling motor drives, reinforcing critical aircraft parts, or supporting structures such as bridges or highways.
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