What are the production methods for copper foam?

Copper foamis a novel multifunctional material. How is it produced? In fact, like most metal Foams, copper foam primarily uses copper as its base material. During production, numerous interconnected or non-interconnected pores are uniformly distributed throughout the copper substrate.

Copper foam not only possesses the advantages of foam metals but also inherits copper's inherent properties. For instance, it exhibits excellent electrical conductivity and ductility. Compared to nickel foam, copper foam offers lower production costs and broader application potential. However, inheriting copper's characteristics, both copper foam and copper share the drawback of poor corrosion resistance. Below, we outline the production processes and methods for foam copper:

1. Powder Metallurgy Method
This method involves continuously adding foaming agents to powdered copper. Upon complete sintering, the foaming agents volatilize, leaving behind pores to form copper foamed.

2. Electrochemical Deposition Method
Foamed copper produced via this process exhibits relatively uniform shapes and a porosity of approximately 95%, making it generally suitable for foamed metal production.

3. Sintering-dewetting process
Compared to the previous two methods, this approach is highly complex. First, electrolytic copper powder, sodium chloride granules, and various additives are mixed. The mixture is then pressed into a green compact. This green compact is sintered in an argon atmosphere, and the product is dissolved in a circulating hot water bath. After dissolution, the material undergoes ultrasonic bath cleaning and acetone washing. Following washing, it is dried to form the open structure. However, this method yields a porosity ratio of only 50-81%, with an average pore size ranging from 0.2 to 4 mm.

Currently, most copper foam production primarily employs the above three methods. Powder metallurgy and electrochemical deposition are the most commonly used techniques in the manufacturing process. Although foam metals possess numerous advantages and practicality, with broad application prospects and fields, reducing production costs and improving manufacturing processes have become scientific challenges requiring resolution.