Lotus-type porous nickel with cylindrical pores was fabricated by unidirectional solidification under an Ar gas atmosphere using the thermal decomposition method of the compounds such as sodium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, calcium carbonate, and titanium hydride. The decomposed gas does form the pores in liquid nickel, and then, the pores become the cylindrical pores during unidirectional solidification. The decomposed particles from the compounds do play a rule on nucleation sites of the pores. The behavior of pore growth was controlled by atmosphere pressure, which can be explained by Boyle's law. The porosity and pore size decreased with increasing Ar gas pressure when the pores contain hydrogen gas decomposed from calcium and sodium hydroxide and titanium hydride, ; however it they did not change when the pores contain containing carbon dioxide decomposed from calcium carbonate. These results indicate that nickel does not have the solubility of carbon dioxide. Lotus-type porous metals can be easily fabricated by the thermal decomposition method, which is superior to the conventional fabrication method used to pressurized gas atmospheres.

• Kim, Sang-Youl
• Hur, Bo-Young | Hur, Bo-Young
• Nakajima, Hideo | Nakajima, Hideo