PRODUCTION OF ULTRA-THIN POROUS METAL PAPERBY APPLYING THE FIBRE SPACE HOLDER METHOD

Powder Metallurgy Volume 57, 2014 – Issue 3: Euromat 2013: Emerging technologies in powder metallurgy

ABSTRACT.
The fibre space holder (FSH) method combines powder metallurgy and lost-foam casting and aims at the production of an ultra-thin novel material with micro-sized porous structures. Throughout the production process, a fabric is used as a spaceholder and coated with a mixture of metal powder (mostly stainless steel and copper, nickel) and water-soluble polymers. In the sintering process, the spaceholder is removed through by high temperaturetreatmentto obtain the final porous metal sheet. This new material combines the advantages of both fabric and porous metal. With a large specific surface area, a minimum thickness of less than 30μm, a maximum porosity of over 95% and a strong liquid absorbency, it is predestined to be used in various application areas, the main ones being  electrodes in hydrogen fuel cells and medical applications. With the purpose of adding additional features to the material, the metal sheet can also be coated with nano powder.