Casting porous cellular metal parts, comprises mixing preform of space-holding salt granules with binder, adding starch to mixture, introducing mixture into mold, and curing mold by flowing carbon dioxide/hot air to form preform

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This patent describes a method for producing porous, cellular metal parts by mixing salt granules (which create pores) with a binder and starch, molding the mixture, curing it with CO₂ or hot air, and then casting metal into the form. The salt is later removed using water, resulting in lightweight metal objects with a controlled porous structure.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Lightweight structural components for aerospace or automotive industries
• Battery current collectors and energy storage devices
• Heat exchangers in industrial or electronic applications
• Biomedical implants such as bone scaffolds
• Filtration systems requiring metal components with specific porosity

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Enables precise control over the porosity and structure of metal parts
• Results in lightweight components with high strength-to-weight ratio
• Improves thermal and electrical conductivity where needed
• Facilitates efficient mass production of complex porous metal shapes
• Uses safe and easily removable materials (salt and starch) as placeholders
• Potentially reduces manufacturing costs compared to traditional pore-forming techniques

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Patent Abstract

The method comprises mixing preform (4) of space-holding salt granules with a binder to obtain a mixture, adding 6-10 wt.% of starch to the mixture, introducing the mixture into a mold, curing the mold by flowing carbon dioxide or hot air to form a preform, pre-heating the mold, performing a low-pressure die casting of the mold under an inert gas using a casting system, removing the casting system, and triggering the space-holding salt granules. The binder includes a water glass binder having 7-13 wt.% water. The triggering step is carried out with a water jet. The method comprises mixing preform (4) of space-holding salt granules with a binder to obtain a mixture, adding 6-10 wt.% of starch to the mixture, introducing the mixture into a mold, curing the mold by flowing carbon dioxide or hot air to form a preform, pre-heating the mold, performing a low-pressure die casting of the mold under an inert gas using a casting system, removing the casting system, and triggering the space-holding salt granules. The binder includes a water glass binder having 7-13 wt.% water. The triggering step is carried out with a water jet. The method further comprises sucking drawing gasses from the casting step.