Open-Pored Metal Body Surface Area Increase via Sintered Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for enhancing the specific surface area and surface properties of open-pored metallic molded bodies are limited, making it difficult to achieve the large specific surface areas required for industrial applications such as catalysis, filtration, and electrochemical processes.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the use of open-pored metallic semifinished parts, which can include metal grids, meshes, foams, or bodies with electrochemically coated polymers, is subjected to thermal treatment to remove organic components. The treated parts are then coated with particles of metal compounds, which are introduced into the pores and surfaces, followed by sintering to increase the specific surface area and modify surface properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional coating methods with pulverulent materials and binders are used, then surface properties can be modified to some extent, but the specific surface area can only be increased to a limited extent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies porous metallic molded bodies as the base material, which inherently possess high specific surface areas due to their porous structure. This allows the final product to achieve very large specific surface areas (increased by at least a factor of 5) while maintaining ease of manufacture, as the porous structure is created during the molding process itself rather than requiring complex post-processing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent embeds pulverulent coating materials directly into the pore structures and cavities of the porous metallic molded body. This nesting approach allows the coating material to be distributed throughout the internal volume of the porous structure, dramatically increasing the effective surface area without requiring excessive amounts of coating material or complex manufacturing steps
2Quantity of substance
If pulverulent materials with binders are applied to surfaces, then coating can be formed, but the specific surface area increase is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The porous metallic molded body provides a pre-formed three-dimensional network of pores and surfaces that naturally increases the available surface area. This eliminates the need for complex multi-layer coating processes, as the porous structure itself serves as the surface area multiplier while providing pathways for coating material penetration
Solution Approach 2:
The porous metallic molded body is prepared in advance with its porous structure formed during molding, before the coating process begins. This preliminary creation of the porous architecture simplifies the subsequent coating operation, as the coating material simply needs to be introduced into the pre-formed pore structures rather than requiring complex application techniques
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The process significantly increases the specific surface area of the open-pored molded bodies by at least a factor of 5 compared to the starting material, enhancing their performance in applications such as filtration, catalysis, and electrochemical processes by improving adsorption capacity, catalytic activity, and electrode performance.
Implementation Method 1
these can be subjected to a thermal treatment in which the organic constituents of this polymer are removed as a result of pyrolysis
Implementation Method 2
coating of the open-pored body with particles of a chemical compound of a metal on surfaces of the open-pored molded body
Implementation Method 3
followed by sintering to increase the specific surface area and modify surface properties
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing open-pore molded metal bodies which have a modified surface. The surface of an open-pore molded metal body said molded body being used as a semi-finished product, is coated with particles of a chemical compound of a metal on particles of the metal which can be reduced or thermally or chemically decomposed in a thermal treatment. After the coating process, at least one thermal treatment is carried out, in which the produced metal particles are connected to the surface of the semi-finished product and/or adjacent produced particles via sintered necks or sintered bridges such that the specific surface area of the obtained open-pore molded body is increased to at least 30 m2/l and/or at least by a factor of 5 in comparison to the starting material of the uncoated metal semi-finished product.