Effect of Hydrogen Pressure on Moisture-Based Fabrication of Lotus-Type Porous Nickel

Abstract

Lotus-type porous nickel, which has long straight pores aligned in one direction, was fabricated by utilizing moisture during unidirectional solidification in argon atmosphere. We studied the effect of the quantity of hydrogen in the atmosphere on the fabrication of lotus-type porous nickel. Adding hydrogen in the atmosphere, it was expected that the porosity of the lotus-type porous nickel with a smaller pore diameter became larger because not only the moisture but also hydrogen gas in the atmosphere were the supply source of hydrogen bubble. However, in fact, the pore diameter and the porosity of lotus-type porous nickel gradually decreased as the hydrogen partial pressure increased up to a point. When hydrogen was further added to the atmosphere, the pore diameter and porosity increased while the number of pores decreased dramatically. As a result of the fabrication under various pressures, the partial pressure of hydrogen at the border was 0.05 MPa. No moisture can be dissociated when a large amount of hydrogen is dissolved in the molten nickel.