Fabrication of high melting-point porous metals by lost carbonate sintering process via decomposition route

Porous metals with high melting points can be manufactured by the lost carbonate sintering (LCS) process either via the dissolution route or via the decomposition route. In the current paper, porous copper and steel samples with porosity in the range of 50 to 85 per cent and cell size in the range of 50 to 1000 μm have been produced via the decomposition route. The effectiveness of carbonate loss and the characteristics of the decomposition route have been studied. In comparison with the dissolution route, the decomposition route can be applied to a wider range of conditions and often requires shorter times to achieve a complete carbonate removal. The porous metal samples produced by the decomposition route generally have higher tensile strength and higher flexural strength than those produced by the dissolution route.