Overview
- A peer-reviewed study in Advanced Engineering Materials reports rail-indenter puncture tests that demonstrate composite metal foam absorbing impact energy far more efficiently than solid steel.
- In baseline runs the indenter tore a hole in a carbon-steel plate, whereas a 30.48 millimeter CMF layer caused only a small dent and rebounded the ram car off the plate.
- The setup used a 300,000‑pound ram car with a six‑by‑six‑inch indenter at 5.2 miles per hour, producing about 368 kilojoules at impact.
- A validated non‑homogenous fluid‑cavity numerical model reproduced the experimental behavior and can predict the CMF thickness required for targeted protection, with specific energy absorption around 28–33 J/g for CMF versus about 0.6 J/g for steel.
- The findings position CMF as a candidate for lighter protective layers on hazmat tank cars and other heat‑sensitive containers, with further scaling, regulatory evaluation, and industry adoption still ahead; the work discloses PHMSA funding and inventor‑linked intellectual property.