Sintered porous structure and method of making same
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsMichael C. Tucker, Craig P. Jacobson, Steven J. Visco
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Abstract
Simple, low cost methods of manufacturing highly porous structures are provided. The methods involve building up porous structures with elements shaped to provide the desired strength, porosity and pore structure of the porous structure and then sintering the elements together to form the structure. Also provided are novel sintered porous structures made up of sintered non-spherical elements. In certain embodiments, the shaped green elements and the porous structure are simultaneously sintered. Also provided are novel sintered porous structures made up of sintered non-spherical elements.
Claims21
1-50. (canceled)
A method of fabricating a porous network, said method comprising:
- providing a plurality of green non-spherical elements, wherein each non-spherical element comprises particles;
- arranging the non-spherical elements in a desired network shape to form a green porous body;
- and
- simultaneously sintering the particles together to form sintered non-spherical elements and sintering the non-spherical elements together to form the porous network.
A porous network comprising a plurality of sintered-together non-spherical elements, wherein each non-spherical element comprises a plurality of sintered-together particles.
A method of fabricating a porous network, said method comprising:
- providing a plurality of green non-spherical elements;
- arranging the plurality of non-spherical elements in a plane having first and second major faces to form a green porous body, wherein the non-spherical elements each comprises particles;
- sintering the particles to form sintered non-spherical elements;
- and
- sintering the plurality of non-spherical elements together to fabricate the porous network;
- wherein the particles and the non-spherical elements are simultaneously sintered.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.