Compressive properties were investigated for the as-cast and T6 heat-treated AZ91 Mg and SG91A Al foams with open-cell structure. The foams showed an elastic region at an initial stage, then a plateau region with a nearly constant flow stress to a large strain of about 60%, and finally a densification region where the stress increased rapidly. The relative stress of the as-cast foams was higher than that of the T6 foams, taking into consideration the influence of the relative density. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.