A method for preparing a metal foam is provided which can freely control characteristics, such as pore size and porosity, of the metal foam, prepare the metal foam in the form of films or sheets which have conventionally been difficult to produce, particularly the form of thin films or sheets as well, and prepare a metal foam having excellent other physical properties such as mechanical strength. It is also possible to efficiently form a structure in which the metal foams as above are integrated with good adhesive force on a metal base material.

A module includes a circuit board and an inductor. The circuit board has a facing surface and a rear surface which are located at opposite sides to each other in an up-down direction. The inductor has a magnetic core and a coil. The magnetic core is made of a soft magnetic metal material. The magnetic core has a facing surface and a radiating surface which are located at opposite sides to each other in the up-down direction. The facing surface of the magnetic core is arranged to face the facing surface of the circuit board in the up-down direction. The radiating surface of the magnetic core is arranged to be radiatable heat outward. The coil has a coil portion and a connection end. The coil portion winds, at least in part, the magnetic core. The connection end is connected to the facing surface of the circuit board.

A method for making a porous metal article of manufacture is provided. The method includes subjecting a saturated aqueous electrolytic solution wherein silver or copper is a donor in a container with two electrodes, where dendrite crystals of silver or copper or silver or copper nanowires are formed and collected. The collected dendrite crystals or nanowires are pressed and sintered, thereafter cooled to room temperature at room temperature and finally pressing the cooled geometric shape to form the porous silver metal article of manufacture. The collected dendrites crystals or nanowires also can be pressed in a carbon based mold or, alternatively, a non-carbon based mold and in vacuum, sintered, cooled to room temperature.

A composite for a porous transport layer may include a particulate substrate including at least one selected from a group consisting of an oxide of a first metal and a second metal, and nanoparticles of a third metal formed on a surface of the particulate substrate, a sintered body thereof, and a method for preparing the same.

A composite for a porous transport layer may include a particulate substrate including at least one selected from a group consisting of an oxide of a first metal and a second metal, and nanoparticles of a third metal formed on a surface of the particulate substrate, a sintered body thereof, and a method for preparing the same.

A method for manufacturing a porous metal body according to the present invention includes: a surface oxidizing step of heating a titanium-containing powder in an atmosphere containing oxygen at a temperature of 250° C. or more for 30 minutes or more to provide a surface-oxidized powder; and a sintering step of depositing the surface-oxidized powder in a dry process, and sintering the surface-oxidized powder by heating it in a reduced pressure atmosphere or an inert atmosphere at a temperature of 950° C. or more.

A method for manufacturing a porous metal body according to the present invention includes: a surface oxidizing step of heating a titanium-containing powder in an atmosphere containing oxygen at a temperature of 250° C. or more for 30 minutes or more to provide a surface-oxidized powder; and a sintering step of depositing the surface-oxidized powder in a dry process, and sintering the surface-oxidized powder by heating it in a reduced pressure atmosphere or an inert atmosphere at a temperature of 950° C. or more.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a sintered alloy valve guide capable of inhibiting valve adhesion even in a high-temperature environment. The problem can be solved by a sintered alloy valve guide impregnated with a lubricating oil including pores that are sealed on the valve guide outer circumferential surface. More particularly, the problem is solved by the sealing step of performing a sealing treatment of pores on the outer circumferential surface of a sintered body impregnated with a lubricating oil.

A method of providing an article having a set of directional channels, including a first directional channel, therein is described. The method comprises preparing a mixture including particles comprising a first material and a first binding agent. The method comprises providing an article precursor by surrounding a pattern comprising a second material with the mixture. The method comprises heating the article precursor thereby coalescing the particles to provide the article. The method comprises removing the pattern by reacting the second material to form a gaseous product, thereby providing the set of directional channels in the article, wherein the set of directional channels corresponds with the removed pattern. Such an article is also described.

A structured multi-phase composite which include a metal phase, and a low stiffness, high thermal conductivity phase or encapsulated phase change material, that are arranged to create a composite having high thermal conductivity, having reduced/controlled stiffness, and a low CTE to reduce thermal stresses in the composite when exposed to cyclic thermal loads. The structured multi-phase composite is useful for use in structures such as, but not limited to, high speed engine ducts, exhaust-impinged structures, heat exchangers, electrical boxes, heat sinks, and heat spreaders.