Porous articles and method for the manufacture thereof
AssigneePorvair PLC
InventorsGary R. Pickrell, Kenneth R. Butcher, Chi Li Lin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved porous article and a method for forming such porous article are provided. A mixture of ceramic or metal particles and pliable organic hollow spheres is prepared in a liquid, typically as a suspension. The article is formed by pressing, slip casting, extruding or injection molding the mixture. The article is dried to remove the liquid, and then is fired so that the particles are bonded such as by sintering, and the organic spheres are eliminated, resulting in a strong porous article having uniformly spaced interconnected voids.
Claims46
A method for forming a porous article comprising the steps of:
- preparing a mixture of particles and hollow pliable resilient organic polymer spheres in a liquid;
- said particles made from metal;
- said metal particles are made from a metal selected from the group consisting of steel and steel alloys, stainless steel, copper, brass, bronze, aluminum, aluminum alloys, titanium, chromium, nickel, and FeCrALY;
- said spheres having average diameters between 1 micron and 1000 microns;
- forming the mixture into a shaped article;
- drying the shaped article;
- firing the shaped article, wherein the particles are bonded and the hollow pliable organic polymer spheres are eliminated, resulting in voids having average diameters between 1 micron and 1000 microns in the shaped article;
- whereby a substantial number of voids form intersections with at least one adjacent void and circular windows are formed at the intersections.
A method for forming a porous article comprising the steps of:
- preparing a mixture of particles and pliable resilient organic hollow polymer spheres in a liquid;
- said particles made from metal;
- said metal particles are made from a metal selected from the group consisting of steel and steel alloys, stainless steel, copper, brass, bronze, aluminum, aluminum alloys, titanium, chromium, nickel, and FeCrALY;
- said spheres having average diameters between 1 micron and 1000 microns
- forming the mixture into a shaped article;
- drying the shaped article;
- firing the shaped article, wherein the particles are bonded and the pliable organic hollow polymer spheres are burned off, resulting in interconnected voids having average diameters between 1 micron and 1000 microns in the shaped article, whereby a substantial number of voids form intersections with at least one adjacent void and circular windows are formed at the intersections.
A method for forming a porous metal article comprising the steps of:
- preparing a mixture of metal particles and pliable organic spheres in a liquid;
- the metal particles are selected from the group consisting of steel and steel alloys, stainless steel, copper, brass, bronze, aluminum, aluminum alloys, titanium, chromium, nickel and FeCrALY;
- forming the mixture into a shaped article;
- drying the shaped article;
- firing the shaped article in a low oxygen environment, wherein the metal particles are bonded and the pliable organic spheres are substantially volatilized, resulting in voids in the shaped article.
A method for forming a porous metal article comprising the steps of:
- preparing a mixture of metal particles and pliable resilient organic hollow spheres in a liquid;
- the metal particles are made from the material taken from the group consisting of steel and steel alloys, stainless steel, copper, brass, bronze, aluminum, aluminum alloys, titanium, chromium, nickel and FeCr and alloys thereof;
- forming the mixture into a shaped article;
- drying the shaped article;
- firing the shaped article, wherein the metal particles are bonded and the pliable organic hollow spheres are substantially volatilized, resulting in voids in the shaped article.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.