a catalyst and other additives having an average cell diameter of about 300 microns chopped or milled fibers 600 microns to 1 5 millimeters long are added 41 to the unmixed reactants and thoroughly mixed therein using for example mechanical stirring and or sonification the fiber entrained polyurethane hpocf so is then allowed to cure 42 all surfaces of the fiber entrained polyurethane hpocf are then coated 43 with a slurry comprised of aluminum in a form of nanopowder nanoparticles and or nanofibers including optionally a binder the aluminum slurry coated construct is subsequently heated 44 to burn off the polymer foaming agents catalysts and any binder and heated further at higher temperature to sinter the aluminum producing a final aluminum hpocf construct 45 that has substantially the same form as the fiber entrained polyurethane hpocf template fig5 is a flow chart for a slurry approach for making a nickel titanium alloy hpocf using a polyurethane foam template starting with unmixed reactants 50 for producing reticulated polyurethane foam i e liquid isocyanate and liquid polyols containing a catalyst and other additives having an average cell diameter of about 300 microns chopped or milled fibers 600 microns to 1 5 millimeters long are added 51.