Lotus-type porous magnesium production via in situ pyrolysis of viscose rayon fiber in a melting process

In recent years, metal foams have gained a lot of attention due to their distinctive physical, mechanical properties, and unique applications. Here, we fabricate magnesium base foam using viscose rayon fibers (VRFs) as a source of hydrogen by casting process at atmospheric pressure via the Gasar method. The chemical composition, pyrolysis of VRFs, and structure of magnesium foams are investigated in this study. By changing the amount of foaming agent from 0.4 to 2.2 wt%, the porosity rate changes from 10 to 52%. As the amount of foaming agent rises, the percentage of porosity first increases to a maximum and then remains almost constant, which can be due to the solubility of hydrogen in the magnesium melt. The highest obtained porosity is about 52% using 1.41 wt% of the foaming agent. The average diameter of the pores (in the range of 1.01–1.06 mm) shows no considerable change when the foaming agent amount is increased. As a result of this study, VRFs may serve as an effective foaming agent in fabricating magnesium foams to be used in load-bearing, weight-saving, and impact-absorbing structures.