Porous structures from solid solutions of reduced oxides
AssigneeInstitute of Gas Technology
InventorRafael A. Donado
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for producing porous structures for use in molten carbonate fuel cells in which a powder comprising at least one of a non-alloyed metal powder and a metal oxide powder, and a ceramic oxide powder is mixed, formed into a desired shape and sintered in an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature between 900.degree. C. and about 1400.degree. C. via reactive oxidation to form a sintered oxide structure, which is then cooled to 700.degree. C. to 1100.degree. C. and treated in a reducing atmosphere to form a metallic structure with the non-reducible oxide dispersed within the metal.
Claims26
A process for producing porous structures for use in molten carbonate fuel cells comprising:
- mixing a powder selected from the group consisting of a non-alloyed metal, a metal oxide and mixtures thereof with one of a ceramic oxide precursor powder and a ceramic oxide powder and shaping said mixture into a structure;
- sintering said structure at a temperature between about 900.degree. C. and about 1400.degree. C. in a gaseous atmosphere forming a sintered oxide structure;
- cooling said sintered oxide structure to a temperature between about 700.degree. C. and about 1100.degree. C.;
- and
- contacting said cooled sintered structure with a reducing gas, forming a porous metallic structure having a dispersed-oxide strengthening agent.
A process for producing porous structures for use in molten carbonate fuel cells comprising:
- oxidizing a powder comprising a non-alloyed metal and a ceramic oxide powder, forming an oxide powder mixture;
- chemically reducing said oxide powder mixture, forming a reduced metal/oxide powder mixture;
- shaping said reduced metal/oxide powder mixture into a structure;
- sintering said structure at a temperature between about 900.degree. C. and about 1300.degree. C. in one of an inert and a reducing gas atmosphere forming a porous metallic structure with dispersed oxide;
- and
- cooling said porous metallic structure.
A process for producing porous structures for use in molten carbonate fuel cells comprising:
- mixing a powder selected from the group consisting of a non-alloyed metal, a metal oxide and mixtures thereof with one of a ceramic oxide precursor powder and a ceramic oxide powder;
- heat-treating said mixture in an oxidizing gaseous atmosphere at a temperature between about 900.degree. C. and about 1400.degree. C. forming an oxide powder mixture, followed by an inert gas atmosphere;
- contacting said oxide powder mixture with a reducing gas forming a reduced metal/oxide powder mixture;
- shaping said reduced metal/oxide powder mixture into a structure;
- sintering said structure at a temperature between about 900.degree. C. and about 1400.degree. C. in one of an inert and a reducing gas atmosphere, forming a porous metallic structure with dispersed oxide;
- and
- cooling said porous metallic structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.