Process for Producing Porous Metal, Porous Metal and Porous Metallic Structure
A porous metal is produced by sequentially carrying out the steps of obtaining a mixture by mixing metal powder and hole forming medium powder, obtaining a molding by stretching this mixture, and removing the hole forming medium powder from the molding by dissolving in water.
1 . A process of producing a porous metal, said process comprising sequentially carrying out the steps of:
obtaining a mixture by mixing metal powder and hole forming medium powder;
obtaining a molding by stretching said mixture; and
dissolving and thereby removing said hole forming medium powder from said molding.
2 . The process of claim 1 wherein said molding is obtained by an extrusion process.
3 . The process of claim 1 wherein said molding is obtained by a rolling process.
4 . The process of claim 1 wherein said molding is obtained by heating to a temperature lower than the melting points of said metal powder and said hole forming medium powder.
5 . The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of obtaining a compressed powder member by compressing said mixture prior to the step of stretching said mixture.
6 . A porous metal that is an extruded product obtained by the process of claim 1 , said extruded product having continuous air holes that are mutually independent within a sectional surface of said extruded product and extends in the direction of extrusion.
7 . The porous metal of claim 6 wherein said molding is obtained by an extrusion process.
8 . The porous metal of claim 6 wherein said molding is obtained by heating to a temperature lower than the melting points of said metal powder and said hole forming medium powder.
9 . The porous metal of claim 6 wherein said process of claim 1 further comprises the step of obtaining a compressed powder member by compressing said mixture prior to the step of stretching said mixture.
10 . A porous metal that is a rolled product obtained by the process of claim 1 , said rolled product having continuous air holes formed within said rolled product and extending in the direction of rolling.
11 . The porous metal of claim 10 wherein said molding is obtained by a rolling process.
12 . The porous metal of claim 10 wherein said molding is obtained by heating to a temperature lower than the melting points of said metal powder and said hole forming medium powder.
13 . The porous metal of claim 10 wherein said process of claim 1 further comprises the step of obtaining a compressed powder member by compressing said mixture prior to the step of stretching said mixture.
14 . A porous metal comprising a metallic member formed by stretching in one direction and having continuous air holes within a sectional area.
15 . A porous metallic structure comprising:
a porous metal formed by stretching in one direction and having continuous air holes formed in the direction of stretching in a sectional area; and
a non-porous metallic member laminated to said porous metal.