Titanium and titanium hydride reticulates and method for making

A reticulate comprising an inorganic substrate having an open cell foam morphology including interconnected pores in the size range from about 0.04 cm to about 1.0 cm coated essentially uniformly with titanium hydride essentially free of carbonaceous material or coated essentially uniformly with titanium essentially free of carbonaceous material, said titanium hydride or titanium being present in a thickness insufficient to increase substantially the pressure drop through said reticulate over that through the uncoated inorganic substrate.

A method for making a self-supporting reticulate of titanium hydride, comprising, (a) blending particles of titanium hydride and a binder which is essentially unreactive with said particles at the decomposition temperature of said binder, to form a slurry in which the weight ratio of said hydride to said binder is at least 2:1;

• (b) contacting a pore-forming means or pore-former having pores in the size range from about 0.04 cm to about 1.0 cm, with said slurry to form a shaped mass of substantially uniformly slurry-coated pore-former which is essentially unreactive with, said slurry and insoluble in it;
• and, (c) removing said binder and said pore-former from said shaped mass at a temperature below about 400.degree. C., so as to form a green reticulate of said hydride, essentially free of carbonaceous material, and having pores in said size range.

A method for making a reticulate of titanium hydride supported on an inorganic substrate, comprising, (a) blending particles of titanium hydride and a binder which is essentially unreactive with said particles at the decomposition temperature of said binder, to form a slurry in which the weight ratio of said hydride to said binder is at least 2:1;

• (b) contacting a pore-forming means or pore-former comprising an inorganic refractory material having pores in the size range from about 0.04 cm to about 1.0 cm, with said slurry to form a shaped mass of substantially uniformly slurry-coated pore-former which is essentially unreactive with said slurry and insoluble in it;
• and (c) removing said binder from said shaped mass at a temperature below about 400.degree. C. so as to form a coating of green reticulate of said hydride, essentially free of carbonaceous material, supported on said pore-former, said coating having a thickness insufficient to increase substantially the pressure drop through said reticulate over that of the uncoated inorganic substrate.

An anode for use in an electrochemical cell, comprising, a reticulate of essentially pure titanium having an electrocatalytic coating comprising at least one platinum group metal oxide, said reticulate having an open cell foam morphology including interconnected pores in the size range from about 0.04 cm to about 1.0 cm bounded by strands having an average thickness of less than 10 mils.

A catalytic reticulate of essentially pure titanium support having a catalyst coating, said titanium support having an open cell foam morphology including interconnected pores in the size range from about 0.04 cm to about 1.0 cm bounded by strands having an average thickness of less than 10 mils.