APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY:

• Porous metal, ceramic, cermet and polymer
• Fuel cell or catalyst deposition supports
• Gas diffusion layers
• Filtration or reactive filtration structures for hot gas and liquid, water, air, food, chemicals

ADVANTAGES:

• Fast, simple, and low cost
• High green strength –withstands the application of subsequent layers
• Avoids the use of flammable organic solvents
• Can be applied to high melting point ceramics and metals
• May be used to create inhomogeneous and nonuniform pore structures

ABSTRACT:

Steve Visco, Craig Jacobson, and Michael Tucker of Berkeley Lab have invented a method for manufacturing porous structures that has advantages over using extractable particulates, pore formers that decompose or burn, tape casting, the replica method, and bubble-forming.  The new process is simple, low cost and produces a robust green material capable of withstanding subsequent layering processes.  The method does not employ flammable organic solvents and can be applied to ceramics and metals with high melting points. An additional advantage is that the uniformity of the pores and the material composition of the structures can be tailored.

The Berkeley Lab high porosity materials are ideal as support structures for catalytic deposition and electrochemical devices such as solid oxide fuel cells or electrochemical pumps, and for gas and liquid separation or filtration.

STATUS:

• Published PCT Patent Application WO2009/082402 available at www.wipo.int. Available for licensing or collaborative research.

REFERENCE NUMBER: IB-2378

SEE THESE OTHER BERKELEY LAB TECHNOLOGIES IN THIS FIELD:

• Nanoporous Metal-Inorganic Materials for Hydrogen Storage, IB-2303
• High Conductivity Single-ion Cross-linked Polymers for Lithium Batteries and Fuel Cells, IB-1553