Fabrication of metallic porous media by semisolid processing using laser irradiation

Semisolid processing using laser irradiation was proposed to fabricate poro us media. This processing is based on semisolid processing and rapid protot yping technology. In the processing, laser irradiation is used to produce t he semisolid state in objective particles. The particles can remain their s pherical shape due to high viscosity of the semisolid state. The liquid pha se in the semisolid particles locally flows into gap between the particles and consequently the particles are joined to each other. Porous media were experimentally fabricated for constantan, chromel, pure copper and Cu-5 mol %Ag alloy by using the proposed processing. The range of laser power and ir radiation time to fabricate porous media became wider as the temperature ra nge in which the semisolid state was obtained was larger. Preheating the gr een particles also increased the fabrication range. The large latent heat o f metallic alloys contributed to the fabricability of porous media. The pro posed semisolid processing using laser irradiation can fabricate porous med ia of metallic alloys with three-dimensional shape.