Method Of Manufacturing Of A Sintered Metal Fiber Medium

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a sintered metal fiber medium, comprising the steps of: providing metal fibers; making a slurry comprising the metal fibers and a binding agent by mixing the metal fibers and the binding agent, possibly with a solvent; casting a layer of the slurry on a support using an applicator; solidifying this slurry, providing a foil comprising the metal fibers and the binding agent; debinding the binding agent in the foil and sintering the metal fibers.

1 . A method for manufacturing a sintered metal fiber medium, comprising the steps of: 
 providing metal fibers;    making a slurry comprising said metal fibers and a binding agent by mixing said metal fibers and said binding agent.;    casting a layer of said slurry on a support using an applicator;    solidifying said slurry, providing a foil comprising said metal fibers and said binding agent;    debinding said binding agent in said foil and sintering said metal fibers.    
     
     
         2 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the concentration of metal fibers in said slurry is in the range of 2% weight to 40% weight of said slurry.  
     
     
         3 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said slurry comprising a solvent dissolving said binding agent.  
     
     
         4 . A method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said solidifying of said slurry is done by evaporation of all of said solvent from said slurry.  
     
     
         5 . A method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said solvent is water.  
     
     
         6 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said slurry is provided by heating said binding agent.  
     
     
         7 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said method comprises an additional step of reducing the thickness of said foil by a pressing operation.  
     
     
         8 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said method comprises an additional step of reducing the thickness of said sintered metal fiber medium.  
     
     
         9 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said method comprises an additional step of stacking several foils to each other prior to said debinding of said binding agent.  
     
     
         10 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said method comprises an additional step of adding a porous metal structure, a metal foil or metal plate to said foil prior to debinding said binding agent.  
     
     
         11 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said method comprises an additional step of sintering a porous metal structure, a metal foil or metal plate to said sintered metal fiber medium.  
     
     
         12 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of said sintered metal fiber medium less than or equal to 0.2 mm.  
     
     
         13 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the porosity of said sintered metal fiber medium is in the range of 40% to 99%.  
     
     
         14 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the bubble point pressure of said sintered metal fiber medium is more than 10000 Pa.  
     
     
         15 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the mean flow pore size of said sintered metal fiber medium is less than 1.5 times said equivalent fiber diameter D of said metal fibers.  
     
     
         16 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the metal fibers have an UD of less than 110, said L being the average fiber length.