Experimental Investigation on Fabrication of Cermet Hollow Spheres for Use as Reinforcement in the Production of Lightweight and Strong Metal Foams for High Energy Absorption Applications

This study aims to develop lightweight and high-strength cermet hollow spheres from a blend of stainless steel (SS316L) and silicon-carbide (SiC) powders. The spheres can be used to manufacture high-energy absorbing materials like closed-cell metal foams if used as reinforcement in metals or metal-matrix composites (MMCs). Powder metallurgy method was used to fabricate the cermet hollow spheres of a diameter range of 7-9 mm and a maximum wall thickness of 0.5 ± 0.05 mm. A slurry was prepared using polyvinyl-alcohol solution and a mixture of SS316L powder with 5, 10 and 15