Mechanical and Microstructural Analysis of Nickel Foam Via Powder Metallurgy

Materials with superior mechanical and thermal performance are important in contemporary engineering due to their lightness. Nickel foam is a promising candidate because of its high porosity, interconnected pore structure, and mechanical integrity. In this research work, nickel foam was synthesised by the powder metallurgy space holder method. Elemental nickel powder was mixed with ammonium hydrogen carbonate, which acted as a pore-forming material. The fabrication process included powder mixing, uniaxial compaction, and high-temperature sintering under an inert atmosphere. The foams that were produced had homogenous interlocked pores ranging from 11-14 μm. The results of the mechanical test indicated that an increase in sintering temperature from 660°C to 760°C enhanced strength and hardness. The crushing load and hardness of Ni78SH22 increased, respectively, from 750 N and 32.7 BHN to 850 N and 34.5 BHN, and Ni68SH32 and Ni58SH42 obeyed the same trend. The experiment showed that this processing route generated nickel foams with homogeneous pore structure and promising mechanical characteristics. The results indicate that powder metallurgy is an effective and convenient technique to produce nickel foams for use in energy systems, thermal management, and catalytic reactors.