Steel sponges by powder metallurgy

Porous materials, characterized by cellular structure, have interesting combinations of physical and mechanical properties. In such a context, steel sponges could be employed as alternative to light alloys in several applications needing a good compromise between lightness and mechanical properties. Thanks to their peculiar properties, the sponges have conquered many different technical fields, siding with the conventional materials and spreading along a wide range of applications. In this work, a new approach to produce steel sponges using SiC spheres (space holder) and steel powder is presented. After the process, the ceramic particles were removed by chemical dissolution and the sponges were characterized from a morphological, microstructural and mechanical point of view. The result of the characterization showed the feasibility of the proposed production route.