Effect of Space Holder Size on the Porous High Purity Aluminum Property

Abstract

Porous high purity aluminum was fabricated using a powder metallurgy route combined with the space holder technique. The high purity aluminum powder was mixed with three different particle sizes and contents of the space holder material. The mixed powders were cold compacted at 400 MPa and sintered at 550 °C. The effects of space holder size on the microstructure and mechanical properties of porous high purity aluminum were systematically studied. Results revealed that the size and content of the space holder materials have a significant effect on the mechanical properties of porous aluminium. The compressive strength and hardness of the porous aluminum increased as the size and amount of the space holder material increased and decreased, respectively. The thickness of the cell wall increased with an increase particle size of the space holder material.