Due to limited fossil fuel resources and environmental problems such as pollution, using renewable energy sources in recent years has increasingly spread. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), as a relatively cheap and clean energy source in traort applications, is considered by many researchers. A PEMFC consists of different components. Bipolar plates as one of the most important components of PEMFC are mainly made of graphite corrugated plates. Graphite bipolar plates are brittle in which usually about 80 percent of the fuel cell total weight and 45 percent of the total cost is allocated to this component. So it is inevitable to optimize the design and materials of this component to commercialize PEMFCs. In recent years, porous metallic materials known as metal foams have been suggested as a suitable alternative for bipolar plates. Accordingly the main objectives of this study are: (1) development of porous metal design using numerical simulation and (2) the selection of synthesis process and characterization of porous metallic materials to replace conventional PEMFC bipolar plates. In fact, the effects of porosity and pore size were considered on the permeability as the most important factor in flow conductivity of porous media. The results of lattice Boltzmann numerical simulation of fluid flow in 3D reconstructed porous media respectively indicate the permeability of porous media as an exponential relation of porosity percent and a power relation of pore size. Numerical simulations could also predict the variation of pressure gradient vs. superficial velocity of fluid flow in porous media. In another step by choosing the lost carbonate sintering (LCS) process and optimization of some process parameters, porous copper material has been synthesized. Results of phase and micro structural analysis show that LCS has such a high capability to produce porous metallic materials with desired pore size and porosity percent. In addition, the mechanical properties of produced foams were studied. Results show an increase of flexural strength with relative density increasing and pore size decreasing. Permeability measurement analysis also confirm the flexibility of LCS to produce metallic foams with appropriate permeability, below the 10-8 m2, for application in PEMFCs. Accordingly, the foam with a porosity of 60% and pore size of 400 micron equal to 65 ppi as a replacement for the conventional bipolar plates was selected. Keywords: Optimization, Proton exchange membrane fuel cell, Bipolar plates, Metallic foam, Lost carbonate sintering, Lattice Boltzmann simulation method.