An electrode for the use of an advanced lithium battery is fabricated using three-dimensionally structured metal foam coated with an active material. The metal foam is porous metal foam that can be used as an anode current collector of a lithium-ion battery and is coated with an anode active material, such as tin, through a sonication-assisted electroless plating method. Additionally, the coated metal foam is heat-treated at an appropriate temperature in order to improve the integrity of the coating layer and hence, the cyclic performance of the lithium-ion battery.

An electrode for the use of an advanced lithium battery is fabricated using three-dimensionally structured metal foam coated with an active material. The metal foam is porous metal foam that can be used as an anode current collector of a lithium-ion battery and is coated with an anode active material, such as tin, through a sonication-assisted electroless plating method. Additionally, the coated metal foam is heat-treated at an appropriate temperature in order to improve the integrity of the coating layer and hence, the cyclic performance of the lithium-ion battery.

A new method of manufacturing a dual investment reticulated solid mold for producing reticulated metal foam, that includes 3D printing of a wax or resin reticulated precursor prior to pre-investment with a pre-investment plaster or pre-investment ceramic plaster, and removal of the precursor before addition of liquid metal to generate reticulated metal foam.

A method to manufacture reticulated metal foam via a dual investment solid mold includes pouring molten metal material into a mold while the mold is located on a chill plate. A method to manufacture reticulated metal foam includes pouring molten metal material into a mold while the mold is located on a chill plate, the chill plate configured to apply an externally driven temperature gradient in the mold so that solidification progresses from the chilled end to the non-chilled end

A method to manufacture reticulated metal foam via a dual investment solid mold, includes pre-investing a precursor with a diluted pre-investment ceramic plaster to encapsulate the precursor; and investing the encapsulated precursor with a ceramic plaster within an mold of a varied cross-section. A varied cross-section mold includes a mold thickness adjacent to an outer periphery of a pattern at a top of the varied cross-section mold is between 200-500% a thickness between the outer periphery of the pattern at a base of the varied cross-section mold. A varied cross-section mold includes a trapezoidal prism shape with a pour cone in a top, the top larger than the base.

A new method of manufacturing a dual investment reticulated solid mold for producing reticulated metal foam, that includes 3D printing of a wax or resin reticulated precursor prior to pre-investment with a pre-investment plaster or pre-investment ceramic plaster, and removal of the precursor before addition of liquid metal to generate reticulated metal foam.