To provide a porous metal material which is produced at a low energy cost, and has a high specific strength, a long length, and holes with a predetermined shape, dimension and array.
A method for manufacturing the porous metal material comprises: a mixing step of mixing small pieces of a base material and small pieces of a sacrificial material; a press molding step of molding the mixed material obtained in the mixing step by applying a pressing force and simultaneously joining the small pieces of the base material to integrate them with the pressing force; and a removing step of removing the sacrificial material from the mixed material in which the small pieces of the base material has been joined and integrated with the pressing force in the press molding step. The press molding step includes pressing and molding the mixed material at a lower temperature than the recrystallization point of the base material, and removing the sacrificial material therefrom. The manufacturing method also comprises a step of improving the strength of the small pieces of the base material prior to the mixing step. The mixing step includes arranging the small pieces of the base material and the small pieces of the sacrificial material in a container for the base material. The press molding step employs any process of forging, extruding, rolling, drawing and swaging. The removing step includes chemically removing the mixed material by exposing the material to a predetermined substance.
COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT
MIYAMOTO JOJI
SAKAI TETSUO
Naomi Kamino