The present disclosure provides methods to improve the properties of a porous structure formed by a rapid manufacturing technique. Embodiments of the present disclosure increase the bonding between the micro-particles 5 on the surface of the porous structure and the porous structure itself without substantially reduce the surface area of the micro-particles. In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure improves the bonding while preserving or increasing the friction of the structure against adjacent materials.

The invention provides a cross-flow separation element comprising a single-piece rigid porous support (2) having within its volume at least one channel (4.sub.1) for passing a flow of the fluid medium for treatment, which channel presents a flexuous flow volume (V1) defined by sweeping a generator section along a curvilinear path around a reference axis, and in that the reference axis does not intersect said generator section and is contained within the volume of the porous support.

A joint prosthesis system is suitable for cementless fixation. The system has two metal implant components and a bearing. One of the metal implant components has an articulation surface for articulation with the bearing. The other metal implant component has a mounting surface for supporting the bearing. One of the metal implant components includes a solid metal portion and a porous metal portion. The porous metal portion has surfaces with different characteristics, such as roughness, to improve bone fixation, ease removal of the implant component in a revision surgery, reduce soft tissue irritation, improve the strength of a sintered bond between the solid and porous metal portions, or reduce or eliminate the possibility of blood traveling through the porous metal portion into the joint space. A method of making the joint prosthesis is also disclosed. The invention may also be applied to discrete porous metal implant components, such as augment.

The present disclosure provides methods to improve the properties of a porous structure formed by a rapid manufacturing technique. Embodiments of the present disclosure increase the bonding between the micro-particles 5 on the surface of the porous structure and the porous structure itself without substantially reduce the surface area of the micro-particles. In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure improves the bonding while preserving or increasing the friction of the structure against adjacent materials.

In the method for producing open-porous bone implants with freely accessible guide structures made from fibers, which are formed from a biocompatible metal or metal alloy, long fibers are superimposed in multiple layers, each in the form of a nonwoven, in which the fibers in each layer are arranged in a mutually preferred axial direction. Needling is carried out in at least one of the layers, by means of which individual fibers of the respective layer are aligned in an axial direction which differs by at least 60? from the preferred axial direction in which the other fibers of the layer are aligned. The superimposed layers are materially fitted to one another point by point via sinter bridges on fibers by sintering in a heating device.

In the method for producing open-porous bone implants with freely accessible guide structures made from fibers, which are formed from a biocompatible metal or metal alloy, long fibers are superimposed in multiple layers, each in the form of a nonwoven, in which the fibers in each layer are arranged in a mutually preferred axial direction. Needling is carried out in at least one of the layers, by means of which individual fibers of the respective layer are aligned in an axial direction which differs by at least 60? from the preferred axial direction in which the other fibers of the layer are aligned. The superimposed layers are materially fitted to one another point by point via sinter bridges on fibers by sintering in a heating device.

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 of making a light weight component is provided. The method including the steps of: forming a metallic foam core into a desired configuration; applying an external metallic shell to an exterior surface of the metallic foam core after it has been formed into the desired configuration; and attenuating the component to a desired frequency by forming a plurality of openings in the external metallic shell.

The present disclosure relates to a method for forming a three dimensional, hierarchical, porous metal structure with deterministically controlled 3D multiscale pore architectures. The method may involve providing a feedstock able to be applied in an additive manufacturing process, and using an additive manufacturing process to produce a three dimensional (3D) structure using the feedstock. The method may involve further processing the 3D structure through at least a de-alloying operation to form a metallic 3D structure having an engineered, digitally controlled macropore morphology with integrated nanoporosity.

An object of the present invention is to provide, at a low cost, a porous metal body that can be used in an electrode of a fuel cell and that has better corrosion resistance. The porous metal body has a three-dimensional mesh-like structure and contains nickel (Ni), tin (Sn), and chromium (Cr). A content ratio of the tin is 10% by mass or more and 25% by mass or less, and a content ratio of the chromium is 1% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less. On a cross section of a skeleton of the porous metal body, the porous metal body contains a solid solution phase of chromium, nickel, and tin. The solid solution phase contains a solid solution phase of chromium and trinickel tin (Ni.sub.3Sn), the solid solution phase having a chromium content ratio of 2% by mass or less, and does not contain a solid solution phase that is other than a solid solution phase of chromium and trinickel tin (Ni.sub.3Sn) and that has a chromium content ratio of less than 1.5% by mass.