Method for creating porous structures by particle expansion

摘要

A process for producing a metal foam includes mechanically working a metallic powder such that oxide particles are finely dispersed within a metallic matrix and annealing the mechanically worked metallic powder in a vacuum the annealed metallic powder such that intraparticle porosity is formed by decomposition of the oxide particles at elevated temperature to reduce the oxide particles to metallic form and liberate the oxygen atoms in gaseous form, thereby creating porosity.