Method of preparing porous nickel-aluminum structures

A method of fabricating a porous nickel-aluminum article comprising:

• (a) plating an organic preform with nickel to create a nickel-plated structure, said plating of nickel consisting of a coating step selected from the group consisting of electrolytic plating and gaseous plating, said preform having a shape selected from the group consisting of an open felt structure, woven fabric and reticulated foam;
• (b) heating said nickel-plated preform to remove said organic preform and leave a porous nickel structure;
• (c) decomposing an organometallic aluminum on said porous nickel structure to form a porous aluminum-coated nickel structure, said organometallic-aluminum compound being a gas selected from the group consisting of triisobutyl-aluminum, triethyl-aluminum, tripropyl-aluminum, diethyl-aluminum hydride, diisobutyl-aluminum hydride and mixtures of said gases;
• (d) reactive sintering said porous aluminum-coated nickel structure to diffuse aluminum into said nickel structure and react said aluminum with said nickel structure to form an open nickel-aluminum structure having porosity.