Closed-loop method for preparing porous material through in-situ melting, atomizing and spraying

Abstract

The invention discloses a closed-loop method for preparing a porous material through in-situ melting, atomizing and spraying, belongs to the technical field of preparation of porous functional materials, and solves the industrial problems of serious pollution, high raw material loss and narrow application range of the existing process. According to the method, an interception type net-shaped supporting body customized according to needs is arranged on an atomization spraying path, through critical preheating and close-range inert gas atomization spraying, semi-molten microbeads are combined in situ to form a three-dimensional porous overall structure, all cut leftover materials are recycled, remelted and reused, and 100% closed-loop utilization of raw materials is achieved. According to the method, zero pollution and zero waste are achieved in the whole process, the specifications of forming materials and supporting bodies are not limited, the porous forming requirement of all kinds of atomizable materials can be met, the comprehensive production cost is only 1 / 5 or below that of a traditional process, the process is safe and controllable, and the method is perfectly suitable for large-scale industrial production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of porous functional material preparation technology, specifically relating to a closed-loop method for preparing porous materials by in-situ melt atomization spraying, which is applicable to the large-scale preparation of various porous structural components such as energy storage electrodes, heat dissipation materials, filter materials, and catalyst carriers. Background Technology

[0002] Porous functional materials, especially porous metallic materials, are core foundational materials in the fields of new energy, environmental protection, and high-end manufacturing. Currently, mainstream preparation processes suffer from three major unresolved industry pain points:

[0003] 1. Severe pollution from the process and extremely high environmental costs: The mainstream electrodeposition method for preparing foam metal requires the use of large amounts of heavy metal electroplating solutions, generating huge amounts of toxic wastewater and waste gas. Environmental treatment costs account for more than 40% of the production costs, which does not comply with the dual-carbon policy requirements, and many places have restricted the expansion of production.

[0004] 2. High raw material loss and high production cost: The existing powder metallurgy and electrodeposition processes have a comprehensive utilization rate of less than 60% for raw materials. Cutting scraps cannot be directly reused in a closed loop and require complex purification processes, which greatly increases production costs. At the same time, the process steps are cumbersome and require multiple equipment and process transfers, resulting in extremely low mass production efficiency.

[0005] 3. Extremely narrow scope of application and inability to adapt to new materials: Existing processes are limited to specific metal materials such as copper and nickel, and cannot adapt to the porous molding requirements of various new functional materials such as semiconductors, composite materials, and new alloys, resulting in extremely poor technical versatility; at the same time, the product structure parameters are fixed and cannot be flexibly adjusted according to the usage scenario, thus failing to meet the needs of customized mass production.

[0006] To address the aforementioned industry pain points, this invention proposes a closed-loop, zero-pollution, zero-waste, and fully material-compatible porous material preparation method that completely solves all the defects of existing processes, while taking into account low cost, high safety, high versatility, and large-scale mass production capabilities. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Purpose of the invention

[0008] To overcome the problems of high pollution, high raw material loss, narrow applicability, and inability to achieve closed-loop mass production in existing porous material preparation processes, this invention provides a closed-loop method for preparing porous materials by in-situ melt atomization spraying, realizing green, low-cost, fully material-compatible, and zero-waste large-scale preparation of porous materials.

[0009] Technical solution

[0010] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0011] A closed-loop method for preparing porous materials by in-situ melt atomization spraying includes the following steps:

[0012] S1 Pre-treatment: Heat the material to be formed to a completely molten state, and at the same time, set an intercepting mesh support on the atomization spray path according to the forming requirements of the target porous structure;

[0013] S2 Critical Preheating: The intercepting mesh support is preheated at a temperature lower than the melting temperature of the material to be formed, and within the critical crystallization temperature range of the material.

[0014] S3 In-situ atomization molding: High-pressure inert gas is used to atomize the molten material to be molded, forming semi-molten microspheres. In a closed inert atmosphere, the semi-molten microspheres are sprayed at close range onto the preheated intercepting mesh support, and the semi-molten microspheres combine in situ to form a three-dimensional porous integral structure.

[0015] S4 Closed-loop recycling: The three-dimensional porous integral structure is cut according to the usage requirements. All the scraps generated from the cutting are recycled, remelted, and reused in the melting and atomization process of step S1, so as to achieve 100% recycling of raw materials.

[0016] Furthermore, in step S1, the material to be formed is any atomizable material that can be melted and atomized to form semi-molten microspheres and can be in-situ bonded to the intercepting mesh support, including but not limited to pure metals, alloys, semiconductor materials, inorganic non-metallic materials, and composite functional materials. There are no material limitations, and it can adapt to the porous forming requirements of various new materials.

[0017] Furthermore, in step S1, the intercepting mesh support is a mesh component with the function of intercepting atomized microbeads. Its material, wire diameter, pore size, and structural specifications are all adaptively set according to the usage requirements of the target porous structure, including but not limited to woven mesh, perforated mesh, expanded mesh, and fiber mesh. It can be flexibly adjusted according to the requirements of conductivity, strength, and porosity, without fixed parameter limitations.

[0018] Furthermore, in step S2, the preheating treatment is completed in a closed inert atmosphere. The intercepting mesh support does not come into contact with air throughout the preheating process, thus avoiding oxidation and ensuring the bonding strength between the substrate and the molding layer.

[0019] Furthermore, in step S3, the high-pressure inert gas is nitrogen or argon, and the atomization spray distance is 5cm~15cm. This ensures that when the semi-molten microspheres are sprayed onto the intercepting mesh support, they maintain a plastic-adhesive state with a slightly solid surface and a molten interior, achieving a stable metallurgical bond between microspheres and between microspheres and the support, without the risk of powder shedding or breakage.

[0020] Furthermore, in step S3, the oxygen volume fraction in the sealed inert atmosphere is ≤1%, eliminating the risk of oxidation of molten materials and the hidden danger of explosion of atomized vapors from the source, constructing a full-process explosion-proof safety mechanism, which complies with the safety specifications for industrial mass production.

[0021] Furthermore, in step S4, the cutting method is laser cutting, which has controllable cutting precision, no burrs, no substrate deformation, and can adapt to the product customization needs of any shape and any specification.

[0022] Beneficial effects

[0023] Compared with existing technologies, this invention has the following disruptive core advantages:

[0024] 1. The entire process is green and pollution-free, completely solving environmental pain points: There is no electroplating, no acid washing, no use of toxic and harmful reagents, and no wastewater, waste gas, or solid waste discharge. It fully complies with national environmental protection and dual-carbon policy requirements, and the environmental protection cost is zero.

[0025] 2. Complete closed-loop zero waste, production cost reduced to the lowest in the industry: 100% recycling of raw materials is achieved by directly remelting and reusing scraps, with no raw material loss; at the same time, the process is extremely simple, and a single set of equipment can complete the entire process without the need for multiple process transfers, and the comprehensive production cost is only less than 1 / 5 of that of the traditional electrodeposition method.

[0026] 3. Full material compatibility and extremely high versatility: It does not limit the specific types of materials to be formed. It can be adapted to any material that can be melted and atomized, covering all categories of functional materials such as metals, alloys, semiconductors, and composite materials, and can meet the porous material needs of multiple fields such as new energy, environmental protection, and high-end manufacturing.

[0027] 4. Fully adjustable parameters and maximum customization capabilities: The specifications, atomization parameters, and preheating temperature of the interception mesh support can be flexibly adjusted according to the usage requirements. Porous materials with different thicknesses, porosities, and strengths can be prepared, perfectly adapting to various customized scenarios such as high-current electrodes, precision filtration, and efficient heat dissipation.

[0028] 5. Excellent product performance and strong industrial adaptability: The prepared porous material is an integrated structure with metallurgical bonding, with high skeleton strength, no powder shedding, and no internal resistance fluctuation, and its performance far exceeds that of traditional foam materials; at the same time, the process can be directly connected to existing atomization powder production lines, and only the addition of interception support structure is required for modification, without the need for large-scale equipment investment, making it suitable for large-scale mass production. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] Example 1

[0031] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a porous copper energy storage electrode, the specific steps of which are as follows:

[0032] 1. Preparatory work: Heat the electrolytic copper to 1150℃ until it is completely melted. According to the conductivity requirements of the energy storage electrode, set a 200-mesh woven copper mesh as an intercepting mesh support in the atomization spray path.

[0033] 2. Critical preheating: In a sealed nitrogen atmosphere, the copper mesh is preheated to 1000℃, which is within the critical crystallization temperature range of pure copper, with the oxygen volume fraction ≤0.8% throughout the process;

[0034] 3. In-situ atomization molding: Molten copper is atomized using high-pressure argon gas to form semi-molten copper microspheres, which are then sprayed onto a preheated copper mesh at a distance of 8cm. The copper microspheres are metallurgically bonded in situ to form a three-dimensional porous copper integral structure with a thickness of 2mm and a porosity of 85%.

[0035] 4. Closed-loop recycling: The porous copper plate is laser-cut according to the electrode specifications, and all the cut scraps are recycled, remelted and used for the next batch of atomization spraying, with a raw material utilization rate of 100%.

[0036] Example 2

[0037] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a porous aluminum heat dissipation material, the specific steps of which are as follows:

[0038] 1. Preparatory work: Heat pure aluminum to 700℃ until it is completely melted. According to the heat dissipation requirements, set a 100-mesh expanded aluminum mesh as an intercepting mesh support in the atomization spray path;

[0039] 2. Critical preheating: In a sealed argon atmosphere, the aluminum mesh is preheated to 600℃, which is within the critical crystallization temperature range of pure aluminum, with the oxygen volume fraction ≤0.5% throughout the process;

[0040] 3. In-situ atomization molding: Molten aluminum is atomized using high-pressure nitrogen to form semi-molten aluminum microspheres, which are then sprayed onto a preheated aluminum mesh at a distance of 12cm. The aluminum microspheres combine in situ to form a three-dimensional porous aluminum heat dissipation structure with a thickness of 5mm and a porosity of 90%.

[0041] 4. Closed-loop recycling: All cut scraps are recycled, melted and reused, achieving 100% raw material utilization.

[0042] Example 3

[0043] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a porous nickel-metal hydride battery electrode, the specific steps of which are as follows:

[0044] 1. Preparatory work: Heat the nickel-cobalt alloy to 1500℃ until it is completely melted, and set an 80-mesh nickel braided mesh as an intercepting mesh support according to the requirements of the battery electrodes;

[0045] 2. Critical preheating: In a closed argon atmosphere, the nickel mesh is preheated to 1400℃, which is within the critical crystallization temperature range of the nickel-cobalt alloy.

[0046] 3. In-situ atomization molding: High-pressure argon gas is used to atomize semi-molten alloy microspheres, which are then sprayed at a distance of 10cm to form a three-dimensional porous alloy electrode;

[0047] 4. Closed-loop recycling: All cut scraps are recycled, melted and reused, with no waste of raw materials. Attached Figure Description

[0048] Figure 1 is a process flow diagram of the method described in this invention;

[0049] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached diagram: 1 - Preparatory process; 2 - Critical preheating process; 3 - In-situ atomization forming process; 4 - Closed-loop recycling process.

Claims

1. A closed-loop method for preparing porous materials by in-situ melt atomization spraying, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1 Pre-treatment: Heat the material to be formed to a completely molten state, and at the same time, set an intercepting mesh support on the atomization spray path according to the forming requirements of the target porous structure; S2 Critical Preheating: The intercepting mesh support is preheated at a temperature lower than the melting temperature of the material to be formed, and within the critical crystallization temperature range of the material. S3 In-situ atomization molding: High-pressure inert gas is used to atomize the molten material to be molded, forming semi-molten microspheres. In a closed inert atmosphere, the semi-molten microspheres are sprayed at close range onto the preheated intercepting mesh support, and the semi-molten microspheres combine in situ to form a three-dimensional porous integral structure. S4 Closed-loop recycling: The three-dimensional porous integral structure is cut according to the usage requirements. All the scraps generated from the cutting are recycled, remelted, and reused in the melting and atomization process of step S1, so as to achieve 100% recycling of raw materials.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S1, the material to be formed is any atomizable material that can be melted and atomized to form semi-molten microspheres and can be in situ bonded to an intercepting mesh support.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S1, the intercepting mesh support is a mesh component with the function of intercepting atomized microbeads. Its material, wire diameter, pore size, and structural specifications are all adaptively set according to the usage requirements of the target porous structure.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S2, the preheating process is completed in a closed inert atmosphere. The intercepting mesh support does not come into contact with air throughout the preheating process to avoid oxidation.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S3, the high-pressure inert gas is nitrogen or argon, and the atomization spray distance is 5cm to 15cm to ensure that when the semi-molten microbeads are sprayed onto the intercepting mesh support, they maintain a plastic-adhesive state with a slightly solid surface and a molten interior.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S3, the oxygen volume fraction in the sealed inert atmosphere is ≤1%, eliminating the risk of oxidation of molten materials and the hidden danger of explosion of atomized vapors from the source.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S4, the cutting method is laser cutting, which has controllable cutting precision and no burrs or substrate deformation.

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