High-strength structural elements using metal foam for portable information handling systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10046388-B2
Application number	US-201615051480-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2016
Priority date	Jul 5, 2013
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

Methods for manufacturing a metal foam and a metal foam reinforced back plate may be used to provide high-strength and low weight structural elements in portable information handling systems. A method for manufacturing a metal foam may include selectively adding iridium oxide and ceramic particulate to a light-metal allow to create desired mechanical properties of the metal foam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing a metal foam, the method comprising:
preparing a first melt comprising aluminum and lithium;
preparing a second melt by adding iridium oxide, ceramic particulate, and calcium carbonate to the first melt;
heating the second melt to evolve gas, wherein a metal foam is generated in the second melt; and
cooling the second melt to solidify a metal foam casting, wherein the metal foam casting has a density of about 0.4 g/cm 3 .

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first melt comprises aluminum A-356.0 and 5% by weight lithium.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second melt comprises 10% by weight iridium oxide.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second melt comprises 5% by volume ceramic particulate, and wherein the ceramic particulate includes at least one of: silicon carbide particles and alumina nanofiber.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the metal foam casting has a density of 0.4 g/cm 3 .

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a median particle size of the ceramic particulate is less than 1 micrometer.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
slicing the metal foam casting to 2 mm thickness, wherein the metal foam comprises pores having a median size of 0.5 mm.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
after slicing the metal foam casting, shaping the metal foam casting to a structure included in a portable information handling system.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
shaping the metal foam casting to a structure included in a portable information handling system.

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Aurongzeb Deeder Mohammad

Classifications

• C22C1/083

  Foaming process in molten metal other than by powder metallurgy · CPC title

• B32B15/012

  one layer being formed of an iron alloy or steel, another layer being formed of aluminium or an aluminium alloy · CPC title

• Y10T29/49989

  Followed by cutting or removing material · CPC title

• B22D25/005 Primary

  Casting metal foams · CPC title

• C22C21/02

  with silicon as the next major constituent · CPC title