The present invention relates to processes for producing metal foam bodies, in which metal-containing powders that may comprise aluminium and chromium or molybdenum are applied to metal foam bodies that may comprise nickel, cobalt, copper and iron and then treated thermally, wherein the highest temperature in the thermal treatment of the metal foam bodies is in the range from 680 to 715? C., and wherein the total duration of the thermal treatment within the temperature range from 680 to 715? C. is between 5 and 240 seconds. Following this method of thermal treatment can achieve alloy formation at the contact surface between metal foam body and metal-containing powder, but simultaneously leave unalloyed regions within the metal foam. The present invention further comprises processes comprising the treatment of the alloyed metal foam bodies with basic solution. The present invention further comprises the metal foam bodies obtainable by these processes, which find use, for example, as support and structure components and in catalyst technology.

A method for fabricating a multi-layer porous wick structure including, providing a first mold set comprising a negative mold and a positive mold, introducing metal particles in the negative mold defining a first porous wick layer, and sintering the metal particles within the negative mold while interfaced with the positive mold to form the first porous wick layer. The method further includes providing a second mold set comprising a negative mold and a positive mold corresponding to the negative mold and assembling the first porous wick layer with the negative mold of the second mold set. The method further includes introducing filler particles into the negative mold of the second mold set to form a sacrificial layer with the first porous wick layer, introducing metal particles in the negative mold of the second mold set with the first porous wick layer and the sacrificial layer and sintering the metal particles, thereby forming the multi-layer porous wick structure.

A multilevel porous metal material, where the levels are classified based on the pore size of the material. The number of classified levels are at least more than two. The pore size of the smallest level of porous metal material is less than 1 micrometer. The elasticity modulus of the smallest level of porous metal material is less than 80 GPa. The porosity is no less than 48%. The preparation method thereof is as follows. The raw material powder used to prepare porous metal material and the pore-forming agent used to prepare the smallest level of pores cavities are mixed to prepare the slurry. The slurry is uniformly filled into polymer material support to form a green body. The green body is dried and crushed to obtain mixed grains.

A method of fabricating a structure having an open cell foam element includes providing an open cell foam element of metallic, diamond, ceramic and/or refractory material form, and/or having one or more metallic, diamond, ceramic and/or refractory material coatings, the foam element defining a plurality of interconnected cells. The method further includes locating a material within the cells, and treating the material, in situ, by sintering and/or infiltration, to form a continuous mesh or lattice structure that extends within and through the cells of the open cell foam element. Structures fabricated using the method are also described.

A method of fabricating a structure having an open cell foam element includes providing an open cell foam element of metallic, diamond, ceramic and/or refractory material form, and/or having one or more metallic, diamond, ceramic and/or refractory material coatings, the foam element defining a plurality of interconnected cells. The method further includes locating a material within the cells, and treating the material, in situ, by sintering and/or infiltration, to form a continuous mesh or lattice structure that extends within and through the cells of the open cell foam element. Structures fabricated using the method are also described.

The present invention provides a sliding member which enables further reduction of friction and improvement of seizure resistance without deteriorating wear resistance of a sliding surface. The sliding member includes a porous metal base material, and a resin material with which the porous metal base material is impregnated. The sliding member includes an exposed sliding surface. The sliding surface includes a top surface made of the resin material, and a bottom surface made of the porous metal base material. A height from the bottom surface to the top surface is 10 to 30 m, and the resin material includes fluorine resin.

A method is presented for producing hollow microspheres of metal oxides (HMOMS) and/or hollow metal silicates microspheres (HMSMS) in a transforming solution. The transforming solution contains an atom M, or an M-ion, or a radical containing M. M in the transforming solution has the thermodynamic ability to replace silicon atoms in hollow silica microspheres (HSMS) and/or hollow glass microspheres (HGMS). The maximum temperature for transformation is set by the chemical physical properties of the transforming solution, and the viscosity of the silica in the walls of the HSMS and/or the glass in the walls of the HGMS. Viscosity, of enough magnitude, helps retain the desired shape of the hollow sphere as it is transformed to HMOMS and/or HMSMS. Non-spherical shapes can be produced by increasing the transformation temperature whereby the viscosity of the walls of the HSMS and/or the HGMS is reduced. Transformation can take place at a single temperature or at several temperatures, each temperature for a separate hold time.

Methods are presented for: 1. production of micro composite castings and continuous production of sheets of micro composites, both consisting of hollow spheres in a matrix, 2. harvesting of HMOMS and HMSMS, and 3. specialty castings for anisotropic properties using 3-dimensional printing

Composite foams are provided including a metal template and a conformal atomic-scale film disposed over such metal template to form a 3-dimensional interconnected structure. The metal template includes a plurality of sintered interconnects, having a plurality of first non-spherical pores, a first non-spherical porosity, and a first surface-area-to-volume ratio. The conformal atomic-scale film has a plurality of second non-spherical pores, a second non-spherical porosity, and a second surface-area-to-volume ratio approximately equal to the first surface-area-to-volume ratio. The plurality of sintered interconnects has a plurality of dendritic particles and the conformal atomic-scale film includes at least one of a layer of graphene and a layer of hexagonal boron nitride.

The present invention relates to a method for producing supported catalysts, comprising: providing a metal foam element A, which consists of metallic cobalt, an alloy of nickel and cobalt, or an arrangement of layers of nickel and cobalt, lying one over the other; applying an aluminum-containing powder MP to metal foam element A in order to obtain metal foam element AX; thermally treating metal foam element AX to achieve alloy formation between metal foam element A and aluminum-containing powder MP, in order to obtain metal foam element B; oxidatively treating metal foam element B, in order to obtain metal foam element C; and applying a catalytically active layer, comprising at least one support oxide and at least one catalytically active component, to at least part of the surface of metal foam element C, in order to obtain a supported catalyst. The present invention further relates to the supported catalysts that can be obtained using the method and to the use of said supported catalysts in chemical transformations.

An installation for sintering a preform includes a sintering furnace in which a load is disposed, wherein the load includes a revolution preform disposed around at least one holding tool, the at least one holding tool including a disk and a crown present on the periphery of the disk, the crown being made of compressible material capable of being eliminated by thermal oxidation, a portion of the preform being in contact with the crown before sintering.