NSF Award
9901860
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will demonstrate production of reticulated foam filters (RFF) by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). These are designed forthe next generation of filters for molten aluminum. Phase I demonstrated the efficacy of this CVDRFF technology for molten metal filtration, with filters being successfully fabricated and tested in both molten aluminum and molten killed steels. CVDRFFs demonstrate excellent performance in molten aluminum, with 90% open porosity to the liquid metal, 100% capture efficiency of solid particles greater than 5 microns, and outstanding corrosion resistance. Phase II will construct and test a pilot production reactor for the manufacture of commercial-scale CVDRFFs. Millions of pounds of molten aluminum will be cast through the filters, with their particle capture efficiency, permeability, throughput, and corrosion resistance measured by state-of-the-art equipment. As a result, a new generation of filters with finer pore size, greater capture efficiency, and longer life will be developed and optimized for the filtration of molten aluminum.<br/> The performance of current high-efficiency filters for molten metals is constrained by limitations in particle capture efficiency, porosity, and/or corrosion resistance. High-strength, high-permeability, high void fraction, corrosion-resistant filters by the CVDRFF technology are expected to have direct application in the $74 million/year molten aluminum filtration market, which includes can and compact disc foil stock, as well as advanced aluminum-lithium alloys such as those used in the space shuttle external fuel tank and other aerospace applications.
