Sintered porous material having nodes and fibers of different materials, with different sintering points, and related methods of preparation and use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021069792-A1
Application number	US-201816762421-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 2, 2018
Priority date	Nov 8, 2017
Publication date	Mar 11, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Described are porous sintered metal bodies, methods of making and using the porous sintered metal bodies, and methods of using the porous sintered metal bodies for commercial applications that include filtering a fluid, including in applications requiring high efficiency (high LRV) filtration.

First claim

1 . A porous sintered metal body comprising a metal matrix comprising elongate metal fibers connected at connective metal nodes, the matrix comprising:
connective metal nodes comprising a first metal material having a first sintering point; elongate metal fibers of a second metal material having a second sintering point that is greater than the first sintering point; wherein the connective metal nodes are fused to the elongate metal fibers to form an interconnected metal matrix comprising the elongate metal fibers connected by and extending between the connective metal nodes.

2 . The porous sintered metal body of claim 1 comprising:
from 30 to 70 weight percent of the first metal material, and
from 70 to 30 weight percent of the f metal material.

3 . The porous sintered metal body of claim 1 comprising less than 1 weight percent non-metal material.

4 . The porous sintered metal body of claim 1 wherein the second sintering point is at least 200 degrees Celsius higher than the first sintering point.

5 . The porous sintered metal body of claim 1 wherein the first sintering point is in a range from 530 to 630 degrees Celsius.

6 . The porous sintered metal body of claim 1 wherein the first metal material is nickel or a nickel alloy.

7 . The porous sintered metal body of claim 1 wherein the second metal material is stainless steel.

8 . The porous sintered metal body of claim 1 having a porosity in a range from 70 to 90 percent.

9 . The porous sintered metal body of claim 1 having a surface area (BET) of at least 0.30 meter per gram.

10 . The porous sintered metal body of claim 1 wherein the membrane has a thickness that is less than 1 millimeter.

11 . The porous sintered metal body of claim 1 in the form of a closed cylinder.

12 . The porous sintered metal body of claim 11 wherein the closed cylinder has a length in a range from 3 to 10 inches, a diameter in a range from 0.75 to 2 inches, and a thickness in a range from 1 to 2 millimeters.

13 . A method of forming a metal matrix that includes elongate metal fibers connected at connective metal nodes, the method comprising:
providing a blend of metal particles including powdered metal particles of a first metal material having a first sintering point, elongate metal fiber particles of a second metal material having a second sintering point, and with the second sintering point being above the first sintering point; and sintering the blend at a temperature that is above the first sintering point to sinter the powdered metal material and form a metal matrix comprising the elongate metal fibers connected at connective metal nodes formed by sintering the powdered metal particles.

14 . The method of claim 13 comprising:
placing the blend in a mold;
pressing the blend, in the mold and
sintering the blend in the mold.

15 . The method of claim 14 wherein the blend of metal materials has an apparent density of less than 0.5 grams per cubic centimeter before being placed in the mold.

16 . A blend of metal materials comprising:
powdered metal particles having a first sintering point; and elongate metal fiber particles of a second metal material having a second sintering point, with the second sintering point being above the first sintering point, the blend having has an apparent density of less than 0.6 gram per cubic centimeter.

17 . The blend of claim 16 wherein the elongate metal fibers have a diameter in a range from 1 to 3 microns and an aspect ratio (length:width) of at least 25:1

18 . The blend of claim 16 wherein the metal powder comprises metal particles having an in a range from 1 to 3 microns.

Assignees

• Entegris Inc

Inventors

• Zeller Robert S

Classifications

• B22F1/052

  characterised by a mixture of particles of different sizes or by the particle size distribution · CPC title

• B22F1/062

  Fibrous particles · CPC title

• B22F1/05

  Metallic powder characterised by the size or surface area of the particles · CPC title

• Y10T428/12056

  Entirely inorganic · CPC title

• B01D2239/1208

  Porosity · CPC title