Method for Preparing Porous Metal Material and Application Thereof

Abstract

A method for preparing a porous metal material comprises: in a vacuum environment, volatilizing one or more volatile alloy elements in an alloy, so as to finally form a porous pure metal or a porous alloy. The process method can be widely applied in the fields such as aeronautics and astronautics, atomic energy, electrochemistry, petrochemical industry, metallurgy, machinery, medicines, environmental protection or construction.

1 . A method for preparing a porous metal material, comprising:
 volatilizing one or more volatile alloy elements in the alloy in a vacuum environment, so as to finally form a porous pure metal or a porous alloy, wherein the alloy has at least one pore-forming element, wherein the pore-forming element has a higher vapor pressure relative to the basic element of the alloy, and the pore-forming element and the basic element can form the event alloy, solid solution or mixture prepared by powder metallurgy process.   
     
     
         2 . The method, as recited in  claim 1 , characterized in that: the volatile alloy element of the alloy is volatilized at a temperature less than the melting point of the alloy and in a continual vacuum environment. 
     
     
         3 . The method, as recited in  claim 1 , characterized in that: the alloy is a commercially available or self-manufactured alloy and the alloy is placed under a temperature no more than the melting point thereof and in a continual vacuum environment to volatilize gradually the volatile alloying element from the alloy, wherein the vacuum degree of the vacuum environment is maintain within 10 Pa, so as to finally form a porous pure metal or alloy, wherein the vapor pressure of the volatile alloying element of the alloy is at least three orders of magnitude higher than the basic alloying element of the alloy. 
     
     
         4 . The method, as recited in  claim 1 , characterized in that: the atomic percentage of the volatile alloy element in the alloy is control to 20%˜80%. 
     
     
         5 . The method, as recited in  claim 1 , characterized in that: the alloy is controlled to have a thickness of 0.005 mm˜1000 mm, wherein the alloy is placed under a temperature range 200° C.˜1200° C. and a vacuum degree of no more than 10 Pa, wherein the alloy is kept warm for no less than 0.1 hour according to the thickness thereof to volatilize gradually the volatile alloying element. 
     
     
         6 . The method, as recited in  claim 1 , characterized in that: the alloy is ferrous alloy, nickel base alloy, titanium alloy, cobalt-base alloy or copper alloy, and at least one of manganese, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, antimony, tellurium, selenium, strontium, ytterbium, magnesium, calcium, thallium, barium, bismuth, potassium, lead, sulfur, phosphorus, sodium and lithium is used as the pore-forming element of the alloy;
 or the alloy is noble metal alloy, and at least one of manganese, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, antimony, tellurium, selenium, strontium, ytterbium, magnesium, calcium, thallium, barium, bismuth, potassium, lead, sulfur, phosphorus, sodium and lithium is used as the pore-forming element of the noble metal alloy, wherein the noble metal alloy selects gold, platinum, rhodium, palladium or iridium as the based element of the noble metal alloy;   or the alloy is aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy, and at least one of zinc, arsenic, cadmium, antimony, tellurium, selenium, strontium, bismuth, potassium, sulfur, phosphorus and sodium is used as the pore-forming element of the alloy; wherein the alloy is prepared by smelting or metallurgy method, and the alloy is polished to remove the surface oxide layer thereof, before it is used, be polished to remove the surface oxide layer thereof.   
     
     
         7 . The method, as recited in  claim 1 , characterized in that: the process temperature is no lower than the temperature when the vapor pressure of the volatile alloying element is no less than 0.1 Pa, and the process temperature is no higher than 85% of the melting point of the alloy. 
     
     
         8 . A porous metal material prepared by the method as recited in  claim 1 , characterized in that: the porous metal material has a pore size range 0.1 um˜20 um. 
     
     
         9 . An application of the method as recited in  claim 1 , characterized in that: the preparing method is adapted for being used in the field of aeronautics and astronautics, atomic energy, electrochemistry, petrochemical industry, metallurgy, machinery, medicines, optical, environmental protection and construction. 
     
     
         10 . An application of the method as recited in  claim 1 , characterized in that: the porous metal alloy prepared by the method is adapted for being used for separation, filtration, catalysis, shock-absorbing, battery current collector, capacitor, energy absorption and shock reduction, optical thin-film, electromagnetic shielding, heat exchange and medical plastic. 
     
     
         11 . The method, as recited in  claim 2 , characterized in that: the atomic percentage of the volatile alloy element in the alloy is control to 20%˜80%. 
     
     
         12 . The method, as recited in  claim 3 , characterized in that: the atomic percentage of the volatile alloy element in the alloy is control to 20%˜80%. 
     
     
         13 . The method, as recited in  claim 2 , characterized in that: the alloy is controlled to have a thickness of 0.005 mm˜1000 mm, wherein the alloy is placed under a temperature range 200° C.˜1200° C. and a vacuum degree of no more than 10 Pa, wherein the alloy is kept warm for no less than 0.1 hour according to the thickness thereof to volatilize gradually the volatile alloying element. 
     
     
         14 . The method, as recited in  claim 3 , characterized in that: the alloy is controlled to have a thickness of 0.005 mm˜1000 mm, wherein the alloy is placed under a temperature range 200° C.˜1200° C. and a vacuum degree of no more than 10 Pa, wherein the alloy is kept warm for no less than 0.1 hour according to the thickness thereof to volatilize gradually the volatile alloying element. 
     
     
         15 . The method, as recited in  claim 2 , characterized in that: the alloy is ferrous alloy, nickel base alloy, titanium alloy, cobalt-base alloy or copper alloy, and at least one of manganese, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, antimony, tellurium, selenium, strontium, ytterbium, magnesium, calcium, thallium, barium, bismuth, potassium, lead, sulfur, phosphorus, sodium and lithium is used as the pore-forming element of the alloy;
 or the alloy is noble metal alloy, and at least one of manganese, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, antimony, tellurium, selenium, strontium, ytterbium, magnesium, calcium, thallium, barium, bismuth, potassium, lead, sulfur, phosphorus, sodium and lithium is used as the pore-forming element of the noble metal alloy, wherein the noble metal alloy selects gold, platinum, rhodium, palladium or iridium as the based element of the noble metal alloy;   or the alloy is aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy, and at least one of zinc, arsenic, cadmium, antimony, tellurium, selenium, strontium, bismuth, potassium, sulfur, phosphorus and sodium is used as the pore-forming element of the alloy; wherein the alloy is prepared by smelting or metallurgy method, and the alloy is polished to remove the surface oxide layer thereof, before it is used, be polished to remove the surface oxide layer thereof.   
     
     
         16 . The method, as recited in  claim 3 , characterized in that: the alloy is ferrous alloy, nickel base alloy, titanium alloy, cobalt-base alloy or copper alloy, and at least one of manganese, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, antimony, tellurium, selenium, strontium, ytterbium, magnesium, calcium, thallium, barium, bismuth, potassium, lead, sulfur, phosphorus, sodium and lithium is used as the pore-forming element of the alloy;
 or the alloy is noble metal alloy, and at least one of manganese, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, antimony, tellurium, selenium, strontium, ytterbium, magnesium, calcium, thallium, barium, bismuth, potassium, lead, sulfur, phosphorus, sodium and lithium is used as the pore-forming element of the noble metal alloy, wherein the noble metal alloy selects gold, platinum, rhodium, palladium or iridium as the based element of the noble metal alloy;   or the alloy is aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy, and at least one of zinc, arsenic, cadmium, antimony, tellurium, selenium, strontium, bismuth, potassium, sulfur, phosphorus and sodium is used as the pore-forming element of the alloy; wherein the alloy is prepared by smelting or metallurgy method, and the alloy is polished to remove the surface oxide layer thereof, before it is used, be polished to remove the surface oxide layer thereof.   
     
     
         17 . The method, as recited in  claim 2 , characterized in that: the process temperature is no lower than the temperature when the vapor pressure of the volatile alloying element is no less than 0.1 Pa, and the process temperature is no higher than 85% of the melting point of the alloy. 
     
     
         18 . The method, as recited in  claim 3 , characterized in that: the process temperature is no lower than the temperature when the vapor pressure of the volatile alloying element is no less than 0.1 Pa, and the process temperature is no higher than 85% of the melting point of the alloy.