Method of fabricating a mold-cast porous metal structure
First Claim
1. A method of fabricating a porous metal structure, the method comprising:
- (a) heating a casting chamber to a chamber temperature above a chamber ambient temperature and to a temperature sufficient to maintain a metal in a molten state;
(b) providing a molten metal having a temperature above the chamber ambient temperature into the chamber;
(c) introducing a gas soluable within the molten metal into the chamber at a chamber pressure sufficient to dissolve the gas into the molten metal;
(d) regulating cooling rate of the chamber to decrease the chamber temperature at a rate below ambient cooling rate so as to form a solidification front within the metal capable of progressing throughout the molten metal at a rate slower than a rate achieveable through ambient cooling; and
(e) controlling the chamber pressure for forming pores within the structure until the solidification front progresses throughout the structure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of fabricating a porous metal structure of a molten liquid metal within a casting chamber to form a porous solid structure upon controlled chamber cooling and depressurization. The method includes provision of a pressurizable stationary mold casting chamber having a gas pressure release valve, a gas pressure measurement sensor, and a plurality of sites with respective surface-temperature or heat flux sensors and respective independently operable temperature controllers for regulating each respective site temperature. A data base driven microprocessor receives pressure and temperature data and selectively and independently adjusts pressure and temperature in accord with algorithmic commands relative required pressure reduction for pore formation and cooling for solidification to chosen extents of porosity and of solidification over a time period terminating upon porous solid-structure fabrication.
19 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method of fabricating a porous metal structure, the method comprising:
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(a) heating a casting chamber to a chamber temperature above a chamber ambient temperature and to a temperature sufficient to maintain a metal in a molten state;
(b) providing a molten metal having a temperature above the chamber ambient temperature into the chamber;
(c) introducing a gas soluable within the molten metal into the chamber at a chamber pressure sufficient to dissolve the gas into the molten metal;
(d) regulating cooling rate of the chamber to decrease the chamber temperature at a rate below ambient cooling rate so as to form a solidification front within the metal capable of progressing throughout the molten metal at a rate slower than a rate achieveable through ambient cooling; and
(e) controlling the chamber pressure for forming pores within the structure until the solidification front progresses throughout the structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification