The present invention relates to a metal fiber molded body formed from metal fibers, a temperature regulation unit including the metal fiber molded body, and a method for manufacturing the metal fiber molded body.
Hitherto, temperature regulation units have been used in electric equipment, electronic equipment, semiconductor equipment, etc., to protect circuits and other components that are sensitive to heat generation. More specifically, as the amount of power used by electric equipment or the like increases, the amount of heat generated also increases, and thus the internal temperature of the electric equipment or the like is regulated by cooling the generated heat with a temperature regulation unit. In such a temperature regulation unit, a metal fiber molded body formed from metal fibers is used in some cases.
As a method for manufacturing a metal fiber molded body, for example, methods disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. H6-279809 (JPH06-279809A), etc., are conventionally known. In the method for manufacturing a metal fiber molded body disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. H6-279809 (JPH08-279809A), a mold for molding is first immersed in a dispersion liquid containing metal fibers, then the metal fibers are attached by suction to a suction surface of the mold. Next, the mold is pulled up from the dispersion liquid while the metal fibers are attached by suction to the suction surface of the mold. Even after the mold is pulled up from the dispersion liquid, the metal fibers are still attached by suction to the suction surface of the mold. By repeating this operation many times, the metal fibers of a desired thickness are attached by suction to the suction surface of the mold. The metal fibers attached by suction to the suction surface of the mold are then sintered at a temperature that does not exceed the melting point of the metal fibers. Accordingly, a metal fiber molded body is produced.
In some cases, rather than a metal fiber molded body, a metal powder sintered body produced by sintering metal powder or metal bulk is used in a temperature regulation unit.
In the metal fiber molded body produced by the manufacturing method disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. H6-279809 (JPH06-279809A), the metal fibers are oriented mainly in a plane direction. Therefore, a temperature regulation unit having such a metal fiber molded body has a problem that the thermal conductivity along the plane where the metal fibers are oriented is excellent, but the thermal conductivity in a direction orthogonal to the plane where the metal fibers are oriented is inferior. Meanwhile, a temperature regulation unit having a metal powder sintered body produced by sintering metal powder or metal bulk has inferior elasticity when the temperature changes, as compared to the metal fiber molded body, so that, when a heat-transfer object to which the temperature regulation unit is attached expands or contracts, the temperature regulation unit cannot follow the expansion or contraction of the heat-transfer object, causing a problem that the temperature regulation unit becomes detached from the heat-transfer object or destroyed.
The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a metal fiber molded body having excellent thermal conductivity in any direction and having excellent elasticity when the temperature changes, a temperature regulation unit including the metal fiber molded body, and a method for manufacturing the metal fiber molded body.
A metal fiber molded body of the present invention is a metal fiber molded body, wherein a ratio, to a presence ratio of metal fibers in a first cross-section, of a presence ratio of metal fibers in a second cross-section orthogonal to the first cross-section is in a range of 0.85 to 1.15.
A metal fiber molded body of the present invention is a metal fiber molded body produced by sintering a plurality of short metal fibers accumulated on a receiving part.
A temperature regulation unit of the present invention is a temperature regulation unit including: a metal fiber molded body produced by sintering a plurality of short metal fibers accumulated on a receiving part; and a support supporting the metal fiber molded body.
A method for manufacturing a metal fiber molded body of the present invention includes the steps of: accumulating a plurality of short metal fibers on a receiving part; and sintering the plurality of short metal fibers accumulated on the receiving part, to produce the metal fiber molded body.
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
First, the method for manufacturing the metal fiber molded body according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to
In more detail, first, a plurality of short metal fibers 30 are put into the inside of a cutter mill 10. The configuration of the cutter mill 10 will be described with reference to
The plurality of short metal fibers 30 put into the inside of the cutter mill 10 through an upper opening 11 of the cutter mill 10 are ground by shearing between each fixed blade 16 and each rotary blade 12 which is mounted on the rotor 14 rotating about the shaft 14a. In addition as the rotor 14 rotates, the plurality of short metal fibers 30 collide with each other inside the cutter mill 10, and the short metal fibers 30 and the fixed blades 16 or the rotary blades 12 collide with each other, whereby the short metal fibers 30 are worn and deformed. Specifically, the metal fibers 30 are bent or folded, whereby the surfaces of the short metal fibers 30 become smooth. In addition, such an operation can also remove burrs from the surfaces of the short metal fibers 30. The short metal fibers 30 sheared, worn, and deformed thus fall downward from the openings of the screen 18. Then, the short metal fibers 30 falling downward from the openings of the screen 18 are collected.
Other than the cutter mill 10, any device that can deform the short metal fibers 30 by physically impacting the short metal fibers 30 can be used. Examples of such a device include a stone-mill-shaped grinder (masscolloider) and a ball mill.
The short metal fibers 30 to be put into the inside of the cutter mill 10 are at least one type of fibers out of copper fibers, stainless steel fibers, nickel fibers, aluminum fibers, and alloy fibers thereof. In particular, copper fibers are preferably used as the short metal fibers 30. This is because copper fibers have an excellent balance between cost and rigidity, plastic deformability, and heat transfer properties. The lengths of the physically impacted short metal fibers 30 are preferably in the range of 0.01 to 1.00 mm, more preferably in the range of 0.05 to 0.50 mm, and further preferably in the range of 0.10 to 0.40 mm. The lengths of the short metal fibers 30 can be confirmed by actual measurement through photographic observation (SEM, optical microscope, etc.) of a metal fiber molded body 40. When the lengths of the short metal fibers 30 are 0.01 to 1.00 mm, it is easy to accumulate the short metal fibers 30 onto a receiving part, and the ratio, to the presence ratio of the metal fibers in a first cross-section, of the presence ratio of the metal fibers in a second cross-section orthogonal to the first cross-section in the metal fiber molded body 40 is easily made to be in the range of 0.85 to 1.15.
Then, the plurality of short metal fibers 30 physically impacted to be deformed fall downward from the openings of the screen 18 of the cutter mill 10. Then, the plurality of short metal fibers 30 falling downward from the openings of the screen 18 are accumulated on a graphite plate 20 (see
In each metal fiber molded body 40 manufactured by such a method, the ratio, to the presence ratio of the metal fibers in the first cross-section (for example, a cross-section P in
Next, various configuration examples of a temperature regulation unit including such a metal fiber molded body 40 will be described with reference to
First, a first configuration example of the temperature regulation unit will be described with reference to
Moreover, plating may be performed on the surface of the exterior component 52 of the temperature regulation unit 50 shown in
Next, a second configuration example of the temperature regulation unit will be described with reference to
The exterior component 62 is formed from a material having heat transfer properties. In addition, the exterior component 62 is formed from a material that is impermeable to liquids and gases. Meanwhile, voids are formed between the metal fibers included in the metal fiber molded bodies 40 and the conventional metal fiber molded body 64, so that the metal fiber molded bodies 40 and the conventional metal fiber molded body 64 allow liquids and gases to pass therethrough. As shown in
Next, a third configuration example of the temperature regulation unit will be described with reference to
Next, a fourth configuration example of the temperature regulation unit will be described with reference to
Next, a fifth configuration example of the temperature regulation unit will be described with reference to
Next, a sixth configuration example of the temperature regulation unit will be described with reference to
Next, a method for producing a fin-shaped temperature regulation unit will be described with reference to
The metal fiber molded body 40 configured as described above and produced by sintering the plurality of short metal fibers 30 accumulated on the receiving part (specifically, the graphite plate 20) has excellent thermal conductivity in any direction, and also has excellent elasticity when the temperature changes. More specifically, in the metal fiber molded body obtained by immersing a mold for molding in a dispersion liquid containing metal fibers and attaching the metal fibers by suction to a suction surface of the mold as in the conventional art, the metal fibers are oriented mainly in the plane direction, so that a temperature regulation unit having such a metal fiber molded body has excellent thermal conductivity along the plane where the metal fibers are oriented, but has inferior thermal conductivity in a direction orthogonal to the plane where the metal fibers are oriented. On the other hand, as for the metal fiber molded body 40 of the present embodiment, the plurality of short metal fibers 30 are accumulated on the receiving part such as the graphite plate 20 and then sintered, whereby the metal fibers are oriented not only in the plane direction but also in a direction (that is, the thickness direction of the metal fiber molded body 40) orthogonal to the plane direction. Therefore, the thermal conductivity becomes excellent in any direction. In addition, since the metal fiber molded body 40 contains the metal fibers, gaps are formed inside the metal fiber molded body 40. Therefore, the metal fiber molded body 40 has better elasticity than a metal powder sintered body or metal bulk produced by sintering metal powder.
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail by means of examples and comparative examples.
1 kg of short copper fibers having an average fiber length of 0.114 mm and an average fiber diameter of 0.021 mm was put into a cutter mill (manufactured by Horai Co., Ltd.: BO-360 model), and the short copper fibers were processed using a 0.5 mm screen. Next, the short copper fibers taken out of the cutter mill were accumulated on a high-purity alumina plate (manufactured by KYOCERA Corporation). More specifically, a molding frame having a plurality of through holes (5 mm in length, 5 mm in width, 500 μm in height) formed therein was placed on the high-purity alumina plate in advance, and the short copper fibers were put into the through holes of the molding frame. Accordingly, the short copper fibers were accumulated inside the through holes of the molding frame on the high-purity alumina plate. Then, the high-purity alumina plate having the short copper fibers accumulated inside the through holes of the molding frame thereon was put into a vacuum sintering furnace (manufactured by CHUGAI RO CO., LTD.), and sintered in this vacuum sintering furnace under nitrogen gas at a pressure of 10 Torr and a sintering temperature of 1000° C. for 2 hours. Then, the sintered bodies were taken out of the molding frame, a spacer was placed to achieve a desired thickness, and the sintered bodies were pressed at a pressure of 100 kN. The metal fiber molded bodies produced as described above had a thickness of 415 μm and a basis weight of 300 g/m2.
The cut surface when the metal fiber molded body according to the first example was cut at the cross-section P in
1 kg of short copper fibers having an average fiber length of 0.085 mm and an average fiber diameter of 0.037 mm was put into a cutter mill (manufactured by Horai Co., Ltd.: BO-360 model), and the short copper fibers were processed using a 0.5 mm screen. Next, the short copper fibers taken out of the cutter mill were accumulated on a high-purity alumina plate (manufactured by KYOCERA Corporation). More specifically, a molding frame having a plurality of through holes (5 mm in length, 5 mm in width, 500 μm in height) formed therein was placed on the high-purity alumina plate in advance, and the short copper fibers were put into the through holes of the molding frame. Accordingly, the short copper fibers were accumulated inside the through holes of the molding frame on the high-purity alumina plate. Then, the high-purity alumina plate having the short copper fibers accumulated inside the through holes of the molding frame thereon was put into a vacuum sintering furnace (manufactured by CHUGAI RO CO., LTD.), and sintered in this vacuum sintering furnace under nitrogen gas at a pressure of 10 Torr and a sintering temperature of 1000° C. for 2 hours. Then, the sintered bodies were taken out of the molding frame, a spacer was placed to achieve a desired thickness, and the sintered bodies were pressed at a pressure of 100 kN. The metal fiber molded bodies produced as described above had a thickness of 204 μm and a basis weight of 1000 g/m2. The metal fiber molded bodies according to the second example are denser than the metal fiber molded bodies according to the first example.
The cut surface when the metal fiber molded body according to the second example was cut at the cross-section P in
Metal fiber molded bodies of third to sixth examples were produced in the same manner as the first example, except that short copper fibers having an average fiber length and an average fiber diameter shown in Table 1 were used and the size of each through hole of the high-purity alumina plate was changed as appropriate. Each physical property value is as shown in Table 1.
3 g of short copper fibers having an average fiber length of 2.875 mm and a fiber diameter of 0.019 mm and 11 g of PVA fibers (trade name: “Fibribond VPB105-1”, manufactured by Kuraray Co., Ltd.) which has a dissolution temperature in water of 70° C. were put into water such that the concentration thereof was 2%, 0.33 g of a nonionic surfactant (trade name: Desgran B, manufactured by DAIWA CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.) was added to the mixture, and the mixture was agitated for dispersion. This dispersion liquid was put into a container having a diameter of 60 cm and a volume of 120 liters, and 1.5 liters of a paper-making polyacrylamide-based dispersing viscous agent solution (solid concentration: 0.08%, trade name “ACRYPERSE PMP”, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) was further added, water was further added to make 100 liters, and the mixture was agitated for dispersion, to prepare a paper-making slurry. The paper-making slurry was put into a molding mold (5 cm in diameter, 15 cm in length) having a 120-mesh wire net wrapped therearound, and was dehydrated while being sucked with a vacuum pump, to obtain a wet sheet. Then, the wet sheet was put into a dryer at a temperature of 100° C. and dried for 120 minutes. The dried sheet was sintered in a vacuum sintering furnace under nitrogen gas at a pressure of 10 Torr and a sintering temperature of 1000° C. for 2 hours. Then, the sintered bodies were taken out, a spacer was placed to achieve a desired thickness, and the sintered bodies were pressed at a pressure of 100 kN. The metal fiber molded bodies produced as described above had a thickness of 145 μm and a basis weight of 299 g/m2.
The cut surface when the metal fiber molded body according to the first comparative example was cut at the cross-section P in
Spherical copper powder having an average diameter of 0.040 mm was accumulated on a high-purity alumina plate (manufactured by KYOCERA Corporation). More specifically, a molding frame having a plurality of through holes (5 mm in length, 5 mm in width, 500 μm in height) formed therein was placed on the high-purity alumina plate in advance, and the copper powder was put into the through holes of the molding frame. Accordingly, the copper powder was accumulated inside the through holes of the molding frame on the high-purity alumina plate. Then, the high-purity alumina plate having the copper powder accumulated inside the through holes of the molding frame thereon was put into a vacuum sintering furnace (manufactured by CHUGAI RO CO., LTD.), and sintered in this vacuum sintering furnace under nitrogen gas at a pressure of 10 Torr and a sintering temperature of 1000° C. for 2 hours. Then, the sintered bodies were taken out of the molding frame. The metal molded bodies made of copper and produced as described above had a thickness of 494 μm and a basis weight of 3403 g/m2. Accordingly, the metal molded bodies made of copper were manufactured.
The cut surface when the metal molded body made of copper according to the second comparative example was cut at the cross-section P in
Irregular-shaped copper powder (manufactured by MITSUI MINING & SMELTING CO., LTD.: MA-CC (average particle diameter: 40 μm)) was accumulated on a high-purity alumina plate (manufactured by KYOCERA Corporation). More specifically, a molding frame having a plurality of through holes (5 mm in length, 5 mm in width, 500 μm in height) formed therein was placed on the high-purity alumina plate in advance, and the irregular-shaped copper powder was put into the through holes of the molding frame. Accordingly, the irregular-shaped copper powder was accumulated inside the through holes of the molding frame on the high-purity alumina plate. Then, the high-purity alumina plate having the irregular-shaped copper powder accumulated inside the through holes of the molding frame thereon was put into a vacuum sintering furnace (manufactured by CHUGAI RO CO., LTD.), and sintered in this vacuum sintering furnace under nitrogen gas at a pressure of 10 Torr and a sintering temperature of 1000° C. for 2 hours. Then, the sintered bodies were taken out of the molding frame. The metal molded bodies made of copper and produced as described above had a thickness of 315 μm and a basis weight of 2068 g/m2. Accordingly, the metal molded bodies made of copper were manufactured.
The cut surface when the metal fiber molded body according to the third comparative example was cut at the cross-section P in
A copper sheet having a thickness of 1004 μm was used as a metal according to a fourth comparative example. Each physical property value is as shown in Table 2.
Metal fiber molded bodies of a fifth comparative example were produced in the same manner as the first comparative example, except that short copper fibers having an average fiber length and an average fiber diameter shown in Table 2 were used and the size of each through hole of the high-purity alumina plate was changed as appropriate. Each physical property value is as shown in Table 2.
Metal fiber molded bodies of a sixth comparative example were produced in the same manner as the first comparative example, except that short copper fibers having an average fiber length and an average fiber diameter shown in Table 2 were used, the size of each through hole of the high-purity alumina plate was changed as appropriate, and agitation was not performed when preparing the dispersion liquid. Each physical property value is as shown in Table 2.
3 g of short copper fibers having an average fiber length of 0.210 mm and a fiber diameter of 0.003 mm and 11 g of PVA fibers (trade name: “Fibribond VPB105-1”, manufactured by Kuraray Co., Ltd.) which has a dissolution temperature in water of 70° C. were put into water such that the concentration thereof was 2%, 0.33 g of a nonionic surfactant (trade name: Desgran B, manufactured by DAIWA CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.) was added to the mixture, and the mixture was agitated for dispersion. This dispersion liquid was put into a container having a diameter of 60 cm and a volume of 120 liters, and 1.5 liters of a paper-making polyacrylamide-based dispersing viscous agent solution (solid concentration: 0.08%, trade name “ACRYPERSE PMP”, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) was further added, water was further added to make 100 liters, and the mixture was agitated for dispersion, to prepare a paper-making slurry. The paper-making slurry was put into a molding mold (5 cm in diameter, 15 cm in length) having a 120-mesh wire net wrapped therearound, and was dehydrated while being sucked with a vacuum pump, to obtain a wet sheet. Then, the wet sheet was put into a dryer at a temperature of 100° C. and dried for 120 minutes to obtain a dry sheet. The dry sheet was impregnated with a slurry in which magnesium oxide particles were dispersed in water, was put into a dryer at a temperature of 100° C., and was dried for 120 minutes. The dried sheet was sintered in a vacuum sintering furnace under nitrogen gas at a pressure of 10 Torr and a sintering temperature of 1000° C. for 2 hours. Then, the sintered bodies were taken out, were immersed in dilute hydrochloric acid to dissolve and remove the magnesium oxide particles, and were then washed. Then, a spacer was placed to achieve a desired thickness, and the sintered bodies were pressed at a pressure of 100 kN. The metal fiber molded bodies produced as described above had a thickness of 296 μm and a basis weight of 1307 g/m2. Each physical property value is as shown in Table 2.
<Evaluation>
The metal fiber molded bodies according to the first to sixth examples, the metal fiber molded bodies according to the first comparative example and the fifth to seventh comparative examples, the metal molded bodies (metal powder sintered bodies) according to the second comparative example and the third comparative example, and the metal body (metal bulk) according to the fourth comparative example were examined for ratio of metal presence ratios, thickness, space factor, thermal conductivity, elongation percentage, CTE relaxation properties, and air permeability. The results of the examinations are shown in Tables 1 and 2 below.
In Table 1, etc., the ratio of metal presence ratios refers to the ratio, to the presence ratio of the metal in the first cross-section, of the presence ratio of the metal in the second cross-section orthogonal to the first cross-section in each of the metal fiber molded bodies and the metal molded bodies, etc., according to the examples and the comparative examples. In addition, the space factor refers to the ratio of the mete) in the unit volume of each of the metal fiber molded bodies and the metal molded bodies, etc., according to the examples and the comparative examples. Moreover, the thermal conductivity was measured as a thermal conductivity in the thickness direction (Z direction (up-down direction) in
Moreover, for the CTE relaxation properties, each of the metal fiber molded bodies and the metal molded bodies, etc., according to the examples and the comparative examples was bonded to an object such as an alumina plate by an inorganic adhesive, and it was examined whether each of the metal fiber molded bodies, the metal molded bodies, etc., follows the expansion or contraction of the object when being heated or when being cooled. Specifically, the case where, even when the object such as an alumina plate to which one of the metal fiber molded bodies, the metal molded bodies, etc., was bonded expanded or contracted, no warpage, peeling, cracking, etc., occurred due to said one of the metal fiber molded bodies, the metal molded bodies, etc., following the expansion or contraction, was evaluated as “excellent” for CTE relaxation properties, and the case where slight warpage occurred but no peeling, cracking, etc., occurred was evaluated as “good” for CTE relaxation properties. On the other hand, the case where, when the object such as an alumina plate to which one of the metal fiber molded bodies, the metal molded bodies, etc., was bonded expanded or contracted, warpage, peeling, cracking, or the like occurred in said one of the metal fiber molded bodies, the metal molded bodies, etc., was evaluated as “fair” or “poor” for CTE relaxation properties. Moreover, for the air permeability, the time required for 100 cc of air to pass through each of the metal molded bodies, etc., was examined by a Gurley tester method (ISO 5636-5) using an air permeability tester that is a Gurley type densometer (manufactured by Toyo Seiki Seisaku-sho, Ltd.), and evaluation was made based on this passage time. The metal molded body or the like for which the passage time was less than 10 seconds was determined as excellent, the metal molded body or the like for which the passage time was not shorter than 10 seconds and shorter than 20 seconds was determined as good, the metal molded body or the like for which the passage time was not shorter than 20 seconds and shorter than 30 seconds was determined as fair, and the metal molded body or the like for which the passage time was not shorter than 30 seconds was determined as poor.
The metal fiber molded bodies according to the first to sixth examples had better thermal conductivities in the thickness direction (2 direction (up-down direction) in
Moreover, the metal fiber molded bodies according to the first to sixth examples had better elongation percentages, CTE relaxation properties, and air permeability than the metal molded bodies, etc., according to the second to fourth comparative examples. The metal powder sintered body or metal bulk produced by sintering metal powder has inferior elasticity when the temperature changes, as compared to the metal fiber molded bodies. Therefore, when a heat-transfer object to which a temperature regulation unit including the metal powder sintered body or the metal bulk is attached expands or contracts, the temperature regulation unit cannot follow the expansion or contraction of the heat-transfer object, causing a problem that the temperature regulation unit becomes detached from the heat-transfer object or destroyed. On the other hand, the metal fiber molded bodies according to the first to sixth examples have excellent elongation percentages and CTE relaxation properties, and thus can inhibit such a problem from arising.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2020-058974 | Mar 2020 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/JP2021/004692 | 2/9/2021 | WO |