Reticulated foam structure
First Claim
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1. A method for manufacturing a reticulated foam structure which comprises:
- investing a reticulated organic foam pattern uniformly with an inorganic investment composition containing an alkaline earth salt, oxide or hydroxide, or carbon and a resin from which the air is removed, which is settable to a structurally stable positive of said pattern;
allowing said inorganic investment composition to set to a form retaining investment;
removing said pattern from said investment, by thermal or chemical means, so as to leave a pattern of internal passageways in said investment corresponding to said organic foam pattern;
introducing a forming composition capable of forming cohesive solid structure into said pattern of internal passageways while maintaining a pressure differential across said investment and vibrating said investment, so as to form a solidus reticulated foam structure, wherein when said forming composition is a molten composition, said forming composition is maintained in a molten state to flow through said investment, and when said forming composition is a sinterable material, said investment is heated to at least the sintering temperature to form said solidus reticulated foam structure; and
removing said investment composition to leave a solidus reticulated foam structure of the solidified forming composition.
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Abstract
Method and manufacture are provided for preparing a reticulated foam structure by: investing an organic reticulated foam structure with an inorganic composition, which composition is inert under the conditions for forming the reticulated structure; allowing the inorganic suspension to set to form an investment; removing the organic reticulated foam structure; filling the voids of the investment with a fluid composition to form a reticulated casting; and dissolving the investment so as to leave a reticulated foam structure casting.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method for manufacturing a reticulated foam structure which comprises:
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investing a reticulated organic foam pattern uniformly with an inorganic investment composition containing an alkaline earth salt, oxide or hydroxide, or carbon and a resin from which the air is removed, which is settable to a structurally stable positive of said pattern; allowing said inorganic investment composition to set to a form retaining investment; removing said pattern from said investment, by thermal or chemical means, so as to leave a pattern of internal passageways in said investment corresponding to said organic foam pattern; introducing a forming composition capable of forming cohesive solid structure into said pattern of internal passageways while maintaining a pressure differential across said investment and vibrating said investment, so as to form a solidus reticulated foam structure, wherein when said forming composition is a molten composition, said forming composition is maintained in a molten state to flow through said investment, and when said forming composition is a sinterable material, said investment is heated to at least the sintering temperature to form said solidus reticulated foam structure; and removing said investment composition to leave a solidus reticulated foam structure of the solidified forming composition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification