Porous metal structure

• US 3,897,221 A
• Filed: 09/30/1971
• Issued: 07/29/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ival O. Salyer, Robert T. Jefferson
• Original Assignee: Ival O. Salyer, Robert T. Jefferson
• Inventors: Salyer, Ival O., Jefferson, Robert T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Satterfield, Walter R.
• Application Number:
  US05/185,002
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 29/182R,182.1,182.2,191.2,192R,192CP 260/2.5AK,2.5AX,2.5BE,37R,77.5R,77.5AQ 161/190 106/41,122 264/44 75/2F
• US Class Current: 428/566
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 1/10 Metallic powder containing lubricating or binding agents; Metallic powder containing organic material
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/1121 by using decomposable, meltable or sublimatable fillers
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/5021 having nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/7664 containing alkylene polyphenyl groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2101/00 Manufacture of cellular products
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2340/00 Filter material
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/08 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 75/08 from polyethers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/808 Foamed, spongy materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 521/919 Sintered product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12153 Interconnected void structure [e.g., permeable, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12479 Porous [e.g., foamed, spongy, cracked, etc.]

Abstract

An open-pore polyurethane structure containing powdered metal comprising coherent spherical particles separated by interconnected interstices and a method of producing this structure comprising mixing metal powder with the components to make a polyurethane structure in a container, polymerizing the mixture in place without stirring after onset of gelation. The polyurethane can be removed preferably by heating in air at a temperature below the sintering temperature for the metal, and the remaining metal can then be sintered forming a sintered porous metal or metal oxide structure depending on the metal used and sintering conditions. A number of porous nickel products were made by the process of the invention and after the removal of the polyurethane depending on the particle size of the nickel and the amount and conditions of sintering densities of the products ranged from 1 to 5 g./cc., compressive strengths from 100 to 20,000 and porosity from 20 to 80 percent. The porous metals or sintered porous metals can be used in mechanical support, air and liquid filters, porous bearings, porous electrodes, acoustic filters, impact absorbers, capillary wicks, void fillers, integral conductor-insulator rods, and three-dimensional highmodulus reinforcements.

Claims

1. A POROUS METAL STRUCTURE MADE BY HEATING AT A SUFFICIENT TEMPERATURE TO REMOVE THE POLYURETHANE AN OPEN-PORE POLYURETHANE STRUCTURE CONTAINING POWDERED METAL DISPERED IN SAID POLYURETHANE, SAID STRUCTURE COMPRISING COHERENT, ROUGHLY SPHERICCAL POLYURETHANE PARTICLES CONTAINING SAID POWDERED METAL, SAID SPHERICAL PARTICLES STICKING TOGETHER IN AN INTERCONNECTED MATRIX, AND IN WHICH THE POLYURETHANE IS THE PRODUCT OF THE REACTION BETWEEN A. A MIXTURE OF POLYARYL POLYALKYLENE POLYISOCYANATES HAVING THE FORMULA