Fabrication of lotus-type porous stainless steel by unidirectional solidification under hydrogen atmosphere

Abstract

Lotus-type porous stainless steel SUS304L has been fabricated by unidirectional solidification under mixed gases of hydrogen and argon. The atmospheric pressure dependence of porosity and pore diameter has been investigated. The porosity is lower if the partial pressure of argon is higher under a constant partial pressure of hydrogen and is higher if the partial pressure of hydrogen is higher under a constant total pressure of atmosphere composing of hydrogen and argon. Average pore diameter increases with increasing distance from the bottom chill plane. From tensile tests, the ultimate tensile strength of the porous stainless steel with porosity about 50% has been found to be about 7 times lower than nonporous alloy in the direction perpendicular to pore growth direction.