Method of preparing a porous metal body
AssigneeCompagnie Generale d'Electricite
InventorsGerard Duperray, Michel Hilaire
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Abstract
A porous metal body, e.g. an electrode for an electric cell, is prepared using the following steps: preparing a foam by adding a surface active agent and a gelling agent to water and then foaming the mixture by stirring and/or blowing air through it; incorporating metal powder in the foam in order to obtain a suspension of the metal therein; shaping the foam with its suspension of metal, and adding a stabilizing agent thereto, said stabilizing agent being one which polymerizes on contact with water, thereby causing the shaped foam to set in shape; and heating the set foam to pyrolize the organic material therein and to sinter the metal. This method produces a more even and a more reliable pore size than has previously been possible.
Claims20
A method of preparing a porous metal body, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) adding a surface active agent and a gelling agent to water;
- (b) agitating the mixture obtained from step (a) to produce a foam;
- (c) incorporating metal powder into the foam to obtain a suspension of the metal in the foam;
- (d) adding a stabilizing agent to the foam after step (c), said stabilizing agent being a material that polymerizes upon contact with water;
- (e) shaping the stabilized foam suspension;
- (f) allowing the shaped and stabilized foam suspension to set;
- and
- (g) heating the set foam to a temperature high enough to pyrolize the organic material therein and to sinter the suspended metal powder.
A porous metal body prepared by the steps of:
- (a) adding a surface active agent and a gelling agent to water;
- (b) agitating the mixture obtained from step (a) to produce a foam;
- (c) incorporating metal powder into the foam to obtain a suspension of the metal in the foam;
- (d) adding a stabilizing agent to the foam after step (c), said stabilizing agent being a material that polymerizes upon contact with water;
- (e) shaping the stabilized foam suspension;
- (f) allowing the shaped and stabilized foam suspension to set;
- and
- (g) heating the set foam to a temperature high enough to pyrolize the organic material therein and to sinter the suspended metal powder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.