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US 3,946,039 AGranted
Reticulated foam structure
AssigneeEnergy Research & Generation, Inc.
InventorDuane D. Walz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Method and manufacture are provided for preparing a reticulated foam structure by: investing an organic reticulated foam structure with an inorganic composition, which composition is inert under the conditions for forming the reticulated structure; allowing the inorganic suspension to set to form an investment; removing the organic reticulated foam structure; filling the voids of the investment with a fluid composition to form a reticulated casting; and dissolving the investment so as to leave a reticulated foam structure casting.
Claims12
A method for manufacturing a reticulated foam structure which comprises:
- investing a reticulated organic foam pattern uniformly with an inorganic investment composition containing an alkaline earth salt, oxide or hydroxide, or carbon and a resin from which the air is removed, which is settable to a structurally stable positive of said pattern;
- allowing said inorganic investment composition to set to a form retaining investment;
- removing said pattern from said investment, by thermal or chemical means, so as to leave a pattern of internal passageways in said investment corresponding to said organic foam pattern;
- introducing a forming composition capable of forming cohesive solid structure into said pattern of internal passageways while maintaining a pressure differential across said investment and vibrating said investment, so as to form a solidus reticulated foam structure, wherein when said forming composition is a molten composition, said forming composition is maintained in a molten state to flow through said investment, and when said forming composition is a sinterable material, said investment is heated to at least the sintering temperature to form said solidus reticulated foam structure;
- and
- removing said investment composition to leave a solidus reticulated foam structure of the solidified forming composition.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.