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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016167123-A1
Application number	US-201615051480-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 23, 2016
Priority date	Jul 5, 2013
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

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 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 . A method for manufacturing a metal foam, the method comprising:
preparing a first melt comprising aluminum and zinc; preparing a second melt by adding 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 0.8 g/cm 3 .

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the second melt comprises 7% by volume ceramic particulate, and wherein the ceramic particulate includes a mixture of: silicon carbide particles and alumina nanofiber.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein a median particle size of the ceramic particulate is less than 1 micrometer.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first melt comprises a Zn-22Al alloy, and wherein the metal foam comprises pores having a median size of 0.5 mm.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the metal foam casting has a density of 0.8 g/cm 3 .

14 . 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

• C22C21/04

  Modified aluminium-silicon alloys · CPC title

• G11B33/025

  Portable cases · CPC title

• B32B5/18

  characterised by features of a layer {of} foamed material · CPC title

• B32B15/046

  of foam · CPC title

• B22D7/005

  from non-ferrous metals · CPC title