U.S. patent application number 14/458594 was filed with the patent office on 2015-07-30 for porous metallic structures.
The applicant listed for this patent is Widener University. Invention is credited to GENNARO J. MAFFIA.
Application Number | 20150209863 14/458594 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42667195 |
Filed Date | 2015-07-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150209863 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MAFFIA; GENNARO J. |
July 30, 2015 |
POROUS METALLIC STRUCTURES
Abstract
In one aspect, there are provided methods for producing porous
metallic structures, wherein the methods involve the use of
collagen fibrils on the nanometer scale as a "sacrificial" scaffold
upon which metal particles are deposited. Also disclosed are
structures comprising a porous metallic matrix having favorable
strength, porosity, and density characteristics. Structures
produced in accordance with the present disclosure are useful for,
inter alia, the fabrication of devices such as filters, heat
exchangers, sound absorbers, electrochemical cathodes, fuel cells,
catalyst supports, fluid treatment units, lightweight structures
and biomaterials.
Inventors: |
MAFFIA; GENNARO J.; (NEWTOWN
SQUARE, PA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Widener University |
Chester |
PA |
US |
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|
Family ID: |
42667195 |
Appl. No.: |
14/458594 |
Filed: |
August 13, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13709817 |
Dec 10, 2012 |
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14458594 |
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12696294 |
Jan 29, 2010 |
8329091 |
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13709817 |
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61148616 |
Jan 30, 2009 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
428/546 ;
428/312.8 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B22F 2998/00 20130101;
B22F 3/12 20130101; Y10T 428/12479 20150115; Y10T 428/24997
20150401; Y10T 428/12014 20150115; B22F 7/004 20130101; B22F 3/1121
20130101; B22F 2998/00 20130101; B22F 3/11 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B22F 3/11 20060101
B22F003/11; B22F 3/12 20060101 B22F003/12 |
Claims
1. A porous metallic structure produced by blending a metal powder
with a dispersion of milled collagen nanofibrils in a carrier to
form a blend comprising a substantially homogeneous mixture of the
metal powder, the collagen nanofibrils, and the carrier, wherein
said collagen nanofibrils have an average diameter of about 10 nm
to about 250 nm; forming a shaped body from said blend; heating
said shaped body to a temperature above the eutectic point of the
blend; cooling said shaped body to a temperature below the eutectic
point of the blend; reducing the amount of carrier in said shaped
body; and, removing a major proportion of said collagen nanofibrils
by sintering the shaped body to form said porous metallic
structure.
2. A structure comprising a porous metallic matrix having a
strength rating of about 50 to about 2000 grams; an average pore
size of about 0.1 to about 250 microns; a density of about 1 g/mL
to about 7 g/mL; and, an average porosity of at least about
90%.
3. The structure according to claim 2, wherein said structure is
substantially spherical.
4. The structure according to claim 2 wherein said porous metallic
matrix comprises one or more of aluminum, copper, stainless steel,
nickel, tin, titanium, zinc, iron, chromium, and manganese.
5. The structure according to claim 4 wherein said porous metallic
matrix comprises at least two of aluminum, copper, stainless steel,
nickel, tin, titanium, and zinc.
6. The structure according to claim 5 wherein said porous metallic
matrix comprises copper and at least one of aluminum, stainless
steel, titanium, and zinc.
7. The structure according to claim 5 wherein said porous metallic
matrix comprises a substantially homogenous distribution of a first
metal and a second metal.
8. The structure according to claim 2 further comprising a
substrate.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No.
13/709,817, filed Dec. 10, 2012, which is a divisional of U.S. Ser.
No. 12/696,294, filed Jan. 29, 2010 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,329,091,
issued Dec. 11, 2012), which claims priority to U.S. Provisional
App. No. 61/148,616, filed Jan. 30, 2009. The entire contents of
each of the above-referenced applications are hereby incorporated
by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The technical field relates generally to highly porous
structures formed from mixtures comprising metallic materials.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Collagen is an abundant structural protein that is present
in all animals. Collagen is insoluble in water, but when properly
prepared, can hold and retain many times its own mass in water due
to its naturally charged surface characteristics. In fact, the
surface charge of collagen is a key physical property that allows
the protein to be adapted for a wide variety of practical uses
including environmental remediation, purification of biological
samples, and other engineering and biotechnological
applications.
[0004] Dispersions of collagen have been formed using a starting
material of raw fibrillar type I bovine corium. See U.S. Pat. No.
6,660,829. It was found that collagen dispersions can be frozen and
then freeze dried, resulting in a product that retains the overall
dimensions of the original frozen material. At the same time, over
99% of the volume of the lyophilized product is porous "empty"
space and the remaining protein component has a spongy organic
aerogel-type structure with controllable pore size, good mechanical
properties, and a density as low as one thousandth of water. It was
further found that this solid material can be crosslinked to anchor
or memorize its shape, pore size and morphology. Id.
[0005] It was also disclosed that such dispersions can be used in
environmental applications, and may function as an aid to
filtration, to assist in the separation of pollutants (including
metals and soluble organic molecules) from aqueous streams, for
selective fractionation of molecules, and in oil droplet
stabilization. Variations on the production process for dispersions
of this type could provide additional end products and useful
results not heretofore observed.
[0006] Porous metal or ceramic materials are useful for the
fabrication of devices such as filters, heat exchangers, sound
absorbers, electrochemical cathodes, fuel cells, catalyst supports,
stand-alone catalysts, fluid treatment units, lightweight
structures and biomaterials. The end use of the porous material may
be determinative of the requirements for structure (such as
open/closed porosity, pore size distribution and shape, density)
and physical properties (such as permeability, thermal,
electrochemical and mechanical properties). For example, closed
porosity is usually sought for lightweight structures, while open
porosity may be desired when one or more of surface exchange,
permeability, and pore connectivity is required.
[0007] Numerous different approaches exist for the fabrication of
such porous materials. Deposition techniques have been used for the
fabrication of metal foam. U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,603 and Japanese
Patent Application No. 5-6763 describe processes that involve
plating a sponge-like resin followed by burning the resin to obtain
a metal foam. Deposition may also be performed from salts (U.S.
Pat. No. 5,296,261) or gas (U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,543). Those
processes provide low-density materials having open-cell
porosity.
[0008] Techniques involving the deposition of powders on polymer
medium (foams or granules) have also been developed. Those
techniques consist in deposing metal or ceramic particles on a
polymer and burning the polymer to obtain porous metal or ceramic
materials. U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,669 describes a process for
preparing a metal porous body having a three-dimensional network
structure by deposing a layer comprising Cu, a Cu alloy, or a
precursor thereof on a skeleton composed of a porous resin body
having a three-dimensional network, followed by heat-treating the
resin body with the layer formed thereon to remove the
heat-decomposable organic component, thereby forming a porous metal
skeleton of Cu or a Cu alloy.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,400 describes the fabrication of metal
foams by cutting a polyethylene foam to form a substrate having a
desired size and shape, submerging the polyethylene substrate into
a solvent for a period of time effective to provide a substrate
with a tacky surface, coating the tacky surface of the polyethylene
with a slurry of copper powders admixed with a binder, drying the
impregnated polyethylene foam, burning the polyethylene in a
furnace to produce a foam structure consisting of copper and
sintering the final product to obtain a rigid structure.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,353 discloses a method for producing a
porous body with high porosity by coating a resin foam, such as
urethane foam, with an adhesive to impart stickiness to the surface
of the foam, and thereafter a powder such as copper oxide powder is
applied thereto, followed by heating to remove the substrate and
sinter the powder. Thus, a porous body to which the pattern of the
base material has been transferred is produced. The powder may be
appropriately selected to obtain porous bodies having a great
strength, without limitations on materials.
[0011] Methods for preparing porous hollow spheres and sponge like
particles are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,598. Such porous
hollow spheres could be used to produce porous materials. The
process for making hollow spherical particles comprises the steps
of providing metallized lightweight spherical bodies from cores of
a foamed polymer with a metal coating of a thickness of 5 to 20
microns; coating said metallized lightweight spherical bodies with
a dispersion of at least one particulate material selected from the
group which consists of metals, metal oxides, ceramics and
refractories to a dispersion coating thickness of 15 to 500
microns; drying the dispersion coating on said metallized
lightweight spherical bodies to form a dry layer of said material
thereon; heating said metallized lightweight spherical bodies with
said dry layer of said material thereon to a temperature of about
400.degree. C. to decompose said polymer cores and form hollow
bodies essentially consisting of said metal coatings and said dry
layers of said material thereon; and subjecting said hollow bodies
essentially consisting of said metal coatings and said dry layers
of said material thereon to a sintering temperature of 900.degree.
C. to 1400.degree. C. for a period sufficient to sinter the
material of the respective layer and the respective layer to the
respective metallic coating, thereby forming hollow spherical
particles.
[0012] In view of the numerous end uses for porous metal or ceramic
materials, there remains a need for structures that are
characterized by high porosity, strength, durability, and uniform
pore distribution, and that can be made by methods that allow for
the adjustment of pore size, porosity, or other characteristics of
the final product, depending on the desired end use.
SUMMARY
[0013] In one aspect, there are provided methods for producing a
porous metallic structure comprising blending a metal powder with a
dispersion of collagen nanofibrils in a carrier; forming a shaped
body from the blend; optionally heating the shaped body at a
temperature above the eutectic point of the blend and cooling the
shaped body to a temperature below the eutectic point of the blend;
reducing the amount of solvent in the shaped body; and, removing a
major proportion of the collagen nanofibrils from the shaped body.
Also provided are porous metallic structures that are produced in
accordance with the described methods.
[0014] In another aspect, disclosed are structures comprising a
porous metallic matrix having a strength rating of about 100 to
about 1000 grams, an average pore size of about 5 to about 100
microns, a density of about 1 g/mL to about 7 g/mL, and an average
porosity of at least about 90%.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 provides a depiction of how metal to collagen ratio
influences densification during the process of producing the
instant porous metallic structures.
[0016] FIG. 2 provides images of porous metallic structures
produced in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0017] FIG. 3 depicts a schematic of a vertical piston crush test
apparatus used to determine the relative strength of porous
metallic structures.
[0018] FIG. 4 provides strength testing data for inventive porous
metallic structures comprising a single metal species.
[0019] FIG. 5 provides strength testing data for inventive porous
metallic structures comprising two different metal species.
[0020] FIG. 6 depicts an apparatus used to test the rate at which
porous metallic structures in accordance with the present
disclosure deteriorate when subjected to repeated high-speed
collisions.
[0021] FIG. 7 depicts the results of durability tests, expressing
average sphere diameters as a function of the amount of time spent
in the testing apparatus.
[0022] FIG. 8 provides an exemplary phase diagram that is used to
determine the processing conditions for the optional partial
meltback of a shaped body.
[0023] FIG. 9A depicts a microscope image of a portion of an
uncoated stainless steel screen, and FIG. 9B shows a microscope
image of a portion of that screen following coating with TiO.sub.2
catalyst material.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
[0024] The present invention may be understood more readily by
reference to the following detailed description taken in connection
with the accompanying figures and examples, which form a part of
this disclosure. It is to be understood that this invention is not
limited to the specific products, methods, conditions or parameters
described and/or shown herein, and that the terminology used herein
is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments by way of
example only and is not intended to be limiting of the claimed
invention.
[0025] The disclosures of each patent, patent application, and
publication cited or described in this document are hereby
incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety.
[0026] As employed above and throughout the disclosure, the
following terms and abbreviations, unless otherwise indicated,
shall be understood to have the following meanings. In the present
disclosure the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include the
plural reference, and reference to a particular numerical value
includes at least that particular value, unless the context clearly
indicates otherwise. Thus, for example, a reference to "a metal" is
a reference to one or more of such metals and equivalents thereof
known to those skilled in the art, and so forth. When values are
expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent "about," it
will be understood that the particular value forms another
embodiment. As used herein, "about X" (where X is a numerical
value) preferably refers to .+-.10% of the recited value,
inclusive. For example, the phrase "about 8" preferably refers to a
value of 7.2 to 8.8, inclusive; as another example, the phrase
"about 8%" preferably refers to a value of 7.2% to 8.8%, inclusive.
Where present, all ranges are inclusive, divisible, and combinable.
For example, when a range of "1 to 5" is recited, the recited range
should be construed as including ranges "1 to 4", "1 to 3", "1 to
2", "1 to 2 and 4 to 5", "1 to 3 and 5", and the like. In addition,
when a list of alternatives is positively provided, such listing
can be interpreted to mean that any of the alternatives may be
excluded, e.g., by a negative limitation in the claims. For
example, when a range of "1 to 5" is recited, the recited range may
be construed as including situations whereby any of 1, 2, 3, 4, or
5 are negatively excluded; thus, a recitation of "1 to 5" may be
construed as "1 and 3-5, but not 2", or simply "wherein 2 is not
included." It is intended that any component, element, attribute,
or step that is positively recited herein may be explicitly
excluded in the claims, whether such components, elements,
attributes, or steps are listed as alternatives or whether they are
recited in isolation.
[0027] Unless otherwise specified, any component, element,
attribute, or step that is disclosed with respect to one embodiment
of the present methods or products may apply to any other method or
product that is disclosed herein.
[0028] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides methods for
forming porous metallic structures using collagen matrices as
scaffolds during the production process. The instant methods
comprise blending a metal powder with a dispersion of collagen
nanofibrils in a carrier; forming a shaped body from the blend;
optionally heating the shaped body at a temperature above the
eutectic point of the blend, followed by cooling the shaped body to
a temperature below the eutectic point of the blend; reducing the
amount of solvent in the shaped body; and, removing a major
proportion of the collagen nanofibrils from the shaped body.
[0029] Collagen is used in the present methods as a "sacrificial
scaffold" upon which metal particles are deposited in order to form
a porous metallic structure. The collagen comprises nanofibrils and
the scaffold may comprise interwoven collagen nanofibrils.
Structurally distinct collagen fibrils on the nanometer scale are
not naturally occurring, and must be produced from the raw collagen
bundles (about 5 microns in diameter) that are found within most
living creatures. Sources of raw collagen include corium, which
comprises large, type-I collagen bundles and is a common by-product
of the rendering industry. Thus, the production of the collagen
nanofibrils may include providing a solution of raw corium, the
corium comprising a plurality of bundled collagen fibers. The
production and use of collagen nanofibrils for forming collagen
dispersions as sacrificial scaffolds is made possible by the
discovery by the present inventors that the formation of
nanofibrils occurs when collagen fibrils are processed in
sufficiently large volume; previous techniques, such as those
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,660,829, did not involve a "scaled-up"
process whereby the production of nanofibrils was obtained. As
disclosed infra, the total volume of starting collagen material
will determine whether nanofibrils are actually formed in
acceptably high yields. Furthermore, the inventive process allows
for the formation of nanofibrils having a high degree of
uniformity, i.e., an average diameter with a low standard
deviation; for example, in some embodiments, a given sample of
collagen fibrils produced in accordance with the present disclosure
may have a yield of nano-scale structures that exceeds 95%, exceeds
97%, exceeds 99%, exceeds 99.5%, or that is about 100%. Prior
techniques yielded results in which a given sample of collagen
fibrils possessed a relatively wide range of diameters on the
micrometer scale.
[0030] The source of the collagen, and where used, the raw corium,
may be any living creature that naturally contains collagen fibers,
or may be from any artificial source or sources (e.g., as produced
by genetically engineered bacteria). The collagen may be from a
single source (that is, a single species) or from multiple sources.
Nonlimiting examples include collagen of bovine, equine, or porcine
origin, or any mixture thereof. Bovine collagen has been used in
the production of the instant porous metallic structures with
excellent results. The present inventors have surprisingly
discovered that porcine collagen, although possessing certain
characteristics that distinguish it from bovine collagen, may also
be used in the production of the instant metallic porous
structures. It has been observed that porcine collagen behaves
somewhat differently during the dispersion process (described
infra); without intending to be bound by any particular theory of
operation, the porcine collagen material appears to have a more
lengthy induction period prior to thickening than bovine collagen.
The resulting dispersion is of very good quality, but takes
additional time and mechanical intervention (e.g., more blending)
to thicken.
[0031] Regardless of its source, the solution of raw corium may be
milled in order to induce separation of the individual collagen
fibrils. Any milling process may be used. In a preferred
embodiment, milling is performed in a conventional ball mill.
During milling, the pH of the solution of raw corium is near
neutral; the isoelectric point occurring at a pH of about 6.5. The
recovered nanofibrils are dispersed in an organic acid solution
preferably with a pH between about 2 and about 6, between about 2.5
and about 5, or between about 3 and about 4.5.
[0032] It has been discovered that sonication (the application of
ultrasound) of the solution of raw corium prior to or even during
milling can yield improved results, i.e., smaller-diameter collagen
nanofibrils, as compared with when such sonication steps are
omitted. A subset of nanofibrils that have been given the misnomer
of "microfibrils" (misnamed because such fibrils are respectively
said to have smaller diameters than those of nanofibrils) is
observed when sonication is performed to the processing. Prior to
the discovery by Brown, E M et al. The Effect of Ultrasound on
Collagen Structure, JALCA Vol. 101, 274-279 (2006), there had been
considerable debate as to the existence of a microfibril. The
solution of raw corium may therefore be subjected to sonication
prior to or during milling. Sonication may be performed in
accordance with any of the conditions described in Brown, E M et
al., supra.
[0033] The volume of the solution of raw corium that is introduced
into the milling apparatus should be sufficiently large to enable
the production of nano-scale collagen fibrils. For example, the
volume of the solution of raw corium should be at least 1 kg per 2
L of DI water and 2 L of milling stones when used in an
approximately 10 L milling vessel. The quantity of solution of raw
corium may be adjusted depending on traditional scaling
calculations for ball mills. The milling time may be between about
7 and about 14 days. The milling time may be shortened by altering
any of a number of conditions, such as by decreasing total solution
volume, raising the temperature of the milling environment (e.g.,
up to, but no higher than, 37.degree. C.), or adjusting mill speed.
However, the milling time of between about 7 and about 14 days
under adiabatic conditions (i.e., without deliberate heating or
cooling) has been found to be excellent for producing a high yield
of nanofibrils. Preferably, the milling vessel is equipped with a
pressure release valve to accommodate the extended milling period;
for example the milling vessel may include a 5 psig safety valve.
Although not intending to be bound by a particular theory of
operation, the principle that underlies the fibril separation
process is believed to be that a surface charge is induced on each
of the fibrils allowing them to retain water between them. This
chemical potential, in tandem with the mechanical energy from the
milling, causes the fibrils to repel each other and remain
separated in solution. Milling may be accompanied by one or more
filtration steps in order to remove unmilled granules of
collagen.
[0034] Up to a point, as the milling time of the solution of raw
corium increases, so does the level of fibril separation; beyond
the complete separation to nanofibril dimension, additional milling
can cause denaturation. The present inventors observed incremental
results of the milling process. The resulting nanofibrils may
individually have a diameter of about 10 nm to about 250 nm. The
disclosed milling process may be used to yield a dispersion of
collagen nanofibrils that are individually of substantially similar
diameter. For example, the resulting dispersion may comprise
nanofibrils having an average diameter with a standard deviation of
about .+-.10 nm, about .+-.5 nm, about .+-.2 nm, or about .+-.1
nm.
[0035] The milled corium solution may be sonicated in order to
induce further separation of the collagen nanofibrils. Sonication
is generally preferable in instances where nanofibrils having an
average diameter of about 30 nm or less are desired. Sonication may
be performed in accordance with any of the conditions described in
Brown, E M et al., supra.
[0036] Following milling and optional sonication, collagen
nanofibrils are "recovered" by separating the insoluble collagen
from fats and soluble materials that are present in the solution,
having been left over from the starting material. The recovery of
the collagen may comprise one or more of straining/filtration,
washing, and centrifuging. Any or all of these steps may be
repeated several times until no fats or other soluble materials
visibly appear or appear by optical analysis in the upper aqueous
phase. The centrifugation is preferably performed at low
temperature, for example, from about 0.degree. C. to about
10.degree. C., or from about 0.degree. C. to about 5.degree. C.,
for about 0.5 to about 3 hours, preferably 1 hour, at a speed of
about 2000 to about 5000 RPM, preferably about 3500 RPM.
[0037] The milled, optionally sonicated, and recovered collagen is
preferably dispersed in a medium having a pH that is below the
isoelectric point of collagen, which is about pH 6.5 to 7. The
collagen may be dispersed in the medium by blending. The medium may
comprise an acid, such as an organic acid. Thickening of the
dispersed collagen occurs over time and may be allowed to occur
over one or more hours, days, weeks, or months. As described
previously, different collagen preparations may require different
thickening times.
[0038] The recovered collagen nanofibrils are then blended into a
carrier. The collagen nanofibrils may have an average diameter of
about 5 nm to about 250 nm, about 10 nm to about 250 nm, about 10
nm to about 100 nm, about 10 nm to about 50 nm, about 10 nm to
about 30 nm, about 15 nm to about 30 nm, or about 20 nm to about 30
nm. The carrier is an acidic aqueous solution, i.e., an aqueous
solution having a pH lower than 7. In one embodiment, the carrier
is a solution of water and an organic acid. The organic acid may be
acetic acid. The present methods also include blending a metal
powder in the carrier. The collagen may be blended into the carrier
by itself, or may be blended into the carrier with a metal powder.
For example, the collagen may be blended into the carrier by itself
in order to form a blend comprising 94% by weight water, 5% by
weight acetic acid, and 1% by weight collagen nanofibrils.
[0039] The ratio of metal powder to collagen in the blend is about
1:1 to about 300:1 by weight. For example, the ratio of metal
powder to collagen may be about 1:1, about 2:1, about 5:1, about
10:1, about 20:1, about 25:1, about 30:1, about 40:1, about 50:1,
about 100:1, about 150:1, about 200:1, about 250:1, or about 300:1
by weight. As will be appreciated among those skilled in the art,
metal ratios may be dictated by the ultimate application.
[0040] The metal powder may comprise any metal that would be stable
for up to about 2 hours, preferably about 1 hour, in an acidic
dispersion. Preferably, the metal powder comprises any metal or
metals that do not readily undergo chemical reaction, or react
slowly, with the components of the collagen dispersion, which may
include aqueous acetic acid. For example, the metal powder may
comprise one or more of aluminum, copper, stainless steel,
titanium, zinc, iron, chromium, and tin. Manganese or similar
active transition metals may also be used if the contents of the
dispersion are selected to avoid a violent reaction therewith
(which can occur if acid were present). The metal powder may
comprise a single metal species, or may comprise at least two
different metal species. When the metal powder comprises at least
two different metal species, the ratio of the first metal species
to a second metal species in the metal powder may be about 1:1 to
about 1:20 by weight. For example, the metal powder may comprise a
first metal powder and a second metal powder in a ratio of about
1:1, about 1:2, about 1:5, about 1:9, about 1:10, about 1:15, or
about 1:20 by weight. Where at least two metal species are present
in the metal powder, a first species may be copper and additional
species may be one or more of aluminum, titanium, and zinc. The
metal powder comprises metallic particles of any geometry. The
particle shape of the metal powder may be substantially uniform or
substantially heterogeneous. Preferably, the particle shape is
substantially uniform/homogeneous. The particle shape may be
substantially spheroid, ovoid, hemispherical, cuboid, cylindrical,
toroid, conical, concave hemispherical (i.e., cup-shaped), plate-
or tile-shaped, irregular, or may adopt any other desired
three-dimensional conformation. The particle size of the metal
powder may be substantially uniform or substantially heterogeneous.
Preferably, the particle size is substantially uniform/homogenous.
The particles may have an average major dimension of about 100
microns or less, about 50 microns or less, about 30 microns or
less, about 20 microns or less, about 15 microns or less, about 10
microns or less, about 5 microns or less, about 2 microns or less,
or about 1 micron or less.
[0041] The blend of collagen and metal powder is subsequently
formed into a shaped body. The shaped body may be formed by filling
a mold with the liquid blend and freezing the mold, or by otherwise
placing the blend or any portion thereof into conditions adequate
for freezing. For example, the blend may be introduced dropwise
into liquid nitrogen in order to form frozen droplets, the frozen
droplets being the shaped bodies; this approach permits the
formation of roughly spherical or substantially spherical metallic
structures. The formation of the shaped body by freezing anchors or
sets the orientation of the collagen fibers in the shaped body. The
shaped body itself and the porous metallic structure formed
therefrom may adopt any three dimensional configuration. The mold
into which the liquid blend of collagen, metal powder, and carrier
is placed may substantially correspond to the three dimensional
configuration of the final porous metal structure, although it is
not unusual for some shape changes to occur during the processing
stages that are carried out in order to yield the final product. In
any event, the shaped body, the final porous metal product, or
both, may be substantially spheroid, ovoid, hemispherical, cuboid,
cylindrical (any type within a wide range of aspect ratios),
toroid, conical, concave hemispherical (i.e., cup-shaped), plate-
or tile-shaped, irregular, or may adopt any other desired
three-dimensional conformation.
[0042] In another embodiment the shaped body may be formed from the
blend by applying the blend to a one or more portions of a
substrate, followed by freezing the substrate and the blend that
has been applied to the substrate. For example, the shaped body may
be formed by daubing, painting, spraying, pouring, dripping, or
coating the blend onto a substrate, followed by freezing the
substrate/blend. Alternatively, the substrate may be dipped into
the blend in order to form a coat of the blend on the portion of
the substrate that has been dipped, followed by freezing.
Preferably, the substrate is subjected to freezing conditions prior
to application of the blend, such as by dipping the substrate in
liquid nitrogen. The substrate may be a solid object having a
defined geometry, and as such the substrate may be substantially
spheroid, ovoid, hemispherical, cuboid, cylindrical, toroid,
conical, concave hemispherical (i.e., cup-shaped), plate- or
tile-shaped (solid or perforated), irregular, or may adopt any
other desired three-dimensional conformation. For example, the
blend may be applied to an object that is intended for use as an
orthopedic implant, such as an acetabular body for use in a hip
implant. The substrate may also be a screen or a mesh, such as a
metal screen or mesh. For example, the coating of screens may be
performed in order to lay down a catalyst coating for use in
reactions, such as photocatalytic oxidation. The substrate may be
substantially non-porous or may be porous with respect to any
portion or the entirety thereof.
[0043] When the shaped body is formed by applying the blend to a
substrate, processing steps that are described herein with respect
to the "shaped body" refer to the blend that has been applied to a
substrate. For example, in such instances, the heating of the
shaped body to a temperature above the eutectic will refer to the
heating of the blend as applied onto substrate. Preferably, the
substrate comprises a material that will remain substantially
intact after being exposed to the conditions that are required to
reduce the amount of carrier in the shaped body (such as sintering
conditions). As such, the substrate preferably comprises one or
more of metal, ceramic, glass, or any other suitable substance or
combination of substances.
[0044] The formation of a shaped body by applying the blend to a
substrate can be used to provide a final product that features a
porous metallic coating on the substrate. Depending on the
characteristics of the porous metallic coating (e.g., its chemical
composition, pore volume, pore size, strength, thickness, etc.) and
the substrate, the coated substrate can be used for any of a number
of different purposes. For example, the coated substrate may be
used as a catalyst. In another example, the coated substrate may be
used as an orthopedic implant; the porous metallic coating may
provide surface roughness and porosity that is conducive to implant
stability, durability, and biocompatibility, and may contribute to
tissue ingrowth.
[0045] Following the formation of the shaped body from the blend of
collagen, metal powder, and carrier, the shaped body may be heated
to a temperature above the eutectic point of the blend. In order to
create specific pore sizes and matrix morphology, heating the
shaped body to a temperature above the eutectic allows for a
process of controlled meltback. In this process, the frozen shaped
body is heated and held at a given temperature for a certain amount
of time. This process induces a chemical potential which causes the
viscous collagen-rich mobile phase to become rearranged such that
it at least partially coats ice particles present in the blend.
Upon refreezing and subsequent reduction of the amount of solvent
in the shaped body, e.g., by freeze-drying, pores are formed. The
eutectic temperature and the phase diagram are determined for a
given formulation contained within a shaped body, for example by
use of Differential Scanning calorimetry. The induced chemical
potential in terms of non-equilibrium, mobile phase pH is
calculated by overlaying the processing conditions onto the
determined phase diagram. An exemplary process of this variety is
described in Example 4, infra. Pore size of the final porous
metallic structure can be calculated in relation to the pore size
in the shaped body. The relationship between pore size in the
shaped body and pore size in the porous metallic structure has been
observed to be linear. For example, using the above-described
process of heating the shaped body to a temperature above the
eutectic point of the blend, it was observed that pores having an
average major dimension of about 100 .mu.m that were present in a
substantially spherical shaped body with a diameter of about 2000
.mu.m became pores having an average major dimension of about 20
.mu.m in the final porous metallic structure, which after sintering
had been reduced to a diameter of about 750 .mu.m. However, some
variation of this relationship may occur and such variations are
within the scope of the present invention. The relationship between
pore size in the shaped body and pore size in the porous metallic
structure may deviate from the observed relationship when, for
example, there are dramatic reductions in volume during sintering,
such as when the metal-to-collagen ratio in the shaped body is low
(e.g., from about 0.5:1 to about 5:1).
[0046] The phase diagram for each formulation within a shaped body
is different depending on the specific surface area of the collagen
nanofibrils and metal powder, the concentration of the collagen
nanofibrils and metal powder, the type of metal powder, the type
and amount of acid, the source and type of the collagen, and the
type and amount of any additives. Prior to processing the phase
diagram specifics are determined using a Differential Scanning
calorimeter. A pulsed NMR technique, developed by Anderson &
Tice of the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering
Laboratory (CRREL) in Hanover, N.H. (and typically used for soils)
has also been successfully used to determine the specifics of the
phase diagram. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate the
process for determining a phase diagram and the appropriate
eutectic for a formulation contained within a given shaped
body.
[0047] The heating of the shaped body above the eutectic occurs at
a temperature and for a time that is dependent upon the
characteristics of the constituents of the shaped body. In general,
however, the heating of the shaped body above the eutectic may
occur for about 0.5 to about 48 hours, preferably for about 1 to
about 18 hours, about 2 to about 12 hours, about 3 to about 8
hours, or about 3 to about 6 hours. The temperature above the
eutectic at which the shaped body is heated is typically about
-5.degree. C. to about -40.degree. C., about -10.degree. C. to
about -35.degree. C., or about -25.degree. C. to about -30.degree.
C. For example, the temperature at which the shaped body is heated
may be about -5.degree. C., about -7.degree. C., about -10.degree.
C., about -15.degree. C., or about -20.degree. C. The duration and
temperature of heating constitute a kinetic relationship whereby
the pores of the resulting structure develop from the original
dispersion.
[0048] Following the period of time during which the shaped body is
heated to a temperature above the eutectic, the shaped body is
cooled to a temperature below the eutectic point of the blend. The
cooling of the shaped body at a temperature below the eutectic
occurs at a temperature and for a period of time that is sufficient
to cause each of the components of the blend to be present in the
solid phase (and thereby anchor the reformed structure and
morphology).
[0049] After the shaped body is cooled to a temperature below the
eutectic (or after the formation of a shaped body if heating above
the eutectic followed by cooling is not performed), the amount of
solvent in the shaped body is reduced. The reduction of the amount
of solvent may be achieved by sublimation of the solvent, for
example, via freeze drying/lyophilization. The amount of solvent in
the shaped body is reduced by at least 50% or more, for example, by
at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, at least
95%, or at least 99%. Vacuum freeze drying may be used to reduce
the amount of solvent in the shaped body, and those skilled in the
art will readily appreciate the conditions under which vacuum
freeze drying may be achieved. In any event, the temperature during
freeze drying should not exceed the eutectic of the sample.
[0050] After the amount of solvent is reduced in the shaped body,
crosslinking of the collagen in the shaped body may optionally be
performed. Crosslinking serves to set the pore size and morphology
of the structure. The collagen can be crosslinked using either
chemical crosslinking agents preferably selected from the group
consisting of a carbodiiamide or N-hydroxy succinimide-derived
active esters (succinimidyl active esters), by severe dehydration
at an elevated temperature and high vacuum, by enzymatic
crosslinking (see Lastowka A, et al., A Comparison of Chemical,
Physical, and Enzymatic Crosslinking of Bovine Type I Collagen
Fibrils, Journal of the American Leather Chemists' Association,
Vol. 100, No. 5, May 2005, pp. 196-202) or by any combination of
these treatments. The strength and biostability of the collagen
matrix so prepared is influenced by the degree of crosslinking
introduced through such treatment.
[0051] When using such chemical crosslinking agents, the dry
collagen matrix material is immersed in a solution of the
crosslinking agent at about room temperature for a period of time
of from about 2 to 96 hours. The solution of crosslinking agent may
contain from about 0.1 to about 15% (weight per volume) of the
crosslinking agent. Alternatively, the crosslinking agent could be
added to the original solution or dispersion of the collagen
source.
[0052] To crosslink the collagen matrix using severe dehydration
(also known as dehydrothermal crosslinking) the shaped body is
subjected to full vacuum of about 50 millitorr or less for about 1
hour to about 2 weeks at a temperature in the range of about
100.degree. C. to about 130.degree. C. In a preferred embodiment,
dehydrothermal crosslinking is performed for about 1 hour to about
12 hours at a temperature of about 100.degree. C. to about
130.degree. C., preferably about 100.degree. C. to about
110.degree. C. Dehydrothermal crosslinking is preferred over
chemical crosslinking, because when the latter treatment is used,
it may be necessary to wash the shaped body in order to remove any
excess crosslinking agent, depending on the end use of the final
porous metallic structure.
[0053] After crosslinking, the shaped body may optionally be washed
and/or stored in ultra-pure water, and the shaped body may
optionally be sterilized using conventional sterilization
techniques; however, it has been discovered that the dehydrothermal
crosslinking process, especially when performed for as long as 14
days, can satisfactorily sterilize the shaped body, thus obviating
the need for any additional treatment.
[0054] A major proportion of the collagen nanofibrils in the
lyophilized shaped body are then removed. The total mass proportion
of collagen nanofibrils that are removed from the shaped body may
be at least 2%, at least 10%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least
40%, at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 75%, at
least 80%, at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 97%, at least 99%,
at least 99.9%, or at least about 100%. The removal of the major
proportion of collagen nanofibrils is preferably accomplished by
sintering the shaped body. The sintering temperature may be from
about 400.degree. C. to about 2000.degree. C., preferably at least
about 600.degree. C. For example, the sintering may be performed at
a temperature of about 400.degree. C., about 500.degree. C., about
600.degree. C., about 700.degree. C., about 800.degree. C., about
900.degree. C., about 1000.degree. C., about 1100.degree. C., about
1200.degree. C., about 1400.degree. C., about 1600.degree. C.,
about 1800.degree. C., or about 2000.degree. C. The duration of the
sintering may be about 1 to about 12 hours, preferably about 1,
about 3, about 6, about 8, about 10, or about 12. Traditional
powder metallurgy involves sintering under inert atmospheric
conditions, e.g., in a nitrogen atmosphere. The removal of a major
proportion of the collagen nanofibrils may therefore involve
sintering under inert atmospheric conditions, or under ambient
atmospheric conditions (i.e., 78.08% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93%
argon, 0.038% carbon dioxide).
[0055] Pursuant to the removal of collagen nanofibrils from the
shaped body, sintering may be preceded by a flash heating step,
whereby the shaped body is rapidly exposed to temperatures that are
elevated relative to the temperature of the shaped body itself.
Flash heating may involve exposing the shaped body to a temperature
that is from the ambient atmospheric temperature of the processing
environment (e.g., room temperature) up to about 1800.degree. C.
For example, flash heating may be accomplished by exposing the
shaped body to room temperature conditions, or to conditions having
a temperature of 400.degree. C., 600.degree. C., 800.degree. C.,
1000.degree. C., 1200.degree. C., 1400.degree. C., 1600.degree. C.,
or about 1800.degree. C. The duration of the flash heating may be
from about 10 minutes to about 8 hours, preferably from about 1
hour to about 4 hours.
[0056] The sintering step, described above, may follow immediately
after flash heating, and typically involves exposure of the shaped
body to temperatures that are elevated above those employed during
flash heating. The rate of temperature increase from the flash
heating step to sintering may be about 200.degree. C. per hour to
about 500.degree. C. per hour.
[0057] Following the optional flash heating and the sintering step,
the shaped body will have been converted to a porous metallic
structure comprising sintered metal that is arranged in accordance
with the sacrificed collagen scaffold. The resulting porous
metallic structure may be cooled, for example, by natural
convection in situ or by direct immersion in a liquid, such as
water. The average pore size of the instant porous metallic
structures may be from about 0.1 micron to about 250 microns. Pore
size may be determined using any suitable technique, including, for
example, scanning electron microscopy or transmission electron
microscopy and measurement software. For example, an image of a
porous metallic structure is captured, and the image is used to
measure pore size, count the total number of pores measured, and
calculate an average pore size. The average pore size of a porous
metallic structure in accordance with the present disclosure may be
about 0.1 micron, about 0.5 micron, about 1 micron, about 5
microns, about 10 microns, about 20 microns, about 50 microns,
about 75 microns, about 100 microns, about 200 microns, or about
250 microns. The average porosity, i.e., the percentage of void
space within a porous metallic structure, may be at least about
80%, at least about 85%, at least about 90%, at least about 95%, at
least about 97%, or at least about 99%. Average porosity may be
determined gravimetrically, by weighing a porous metallic structure
comprising a known metal or metals and comparing the density of the
weighed structure to established metal densities.
[0058] The density of a porous metallic structure may be about 0.5
g/mL to about 10 g/mL, preferably about 1 g/mL to about 7 g/mL. It
has presently been discovered that the diameter and density of a
porous metallic structure in accordance with the present disclosure
may be controlled by varying the metal to collagen ratio in the
blend of collagen, metal, and carrier that is used to form a shaped
body. In particular, a higher metal to collagen ratio results in
less densification of the shaped body during the removal of the
major proportion of collagen nanofibrils, and consequently results
in a porous metallic structure having a greater diameter than a
different structure that was made by a process that employed a
lower metal to collagen ratio. FIG. 1 illustrates how the degree of
densification that occurs during the preparation of substantially
spherical porous metallic structures in accordance with the present
disclosure is at least partially a function of the metal to
collagen ratio ("M/C ratio") that is used during the production
process. Four different shaped bodies of substantially equal
diameter, each containing a different metal to collagen ratio, were
subjected to conditions sufficient to remove a major proportion of
the collagen nanofibrils (here, sintering), and the final diameter
of each shaped body was measured during sintering. All of the
shaped bodies evinced a reduction in diameter when sintered, but
the structures having a lower metal to collagen ratio underwent a
greater degree of densification and commensurate reduction in
diameter relative to the structures formed from a mixture having a
higher metal to collagen ratio.
[0059] The strength rating of the porous metallic structures may be
about 100 to about 1000 grams load bearing per structure. Example
2, infra, describes the conditions under which the relative
strength of porous metallic structures may be determined. As used
herein, the "strength rating" represents a relative measurement and
corresponds to the number of grams required for a porous metallic
structure in accordance with the present disclosure to fail
(crush).
[0060] Thus, in another aspect, there are also disclosed structures
comprising a porous metallic matrix having a strength rating of
about 50 to about 2000 grams; an average pore size of about 5 to
about 100 microns; a density of about 1 g/mL to about 7 g/mL; and,
an average porosity of at least about 90%. As described previously,
a shaped body that is used to form a porous metallic matrix may be
any three-dimensional shape, as may the porous structure that is
produced from a shaped body. For example, the porous structure may
be substantially spheroid, ovoid, hemispherical, cuboid,
cylindrical, toroid, conical, concave hemispherical (i.e.,
cup-shaped), plate- or tile-shaped, irregular, or may adopt any
other desired three-dimensional conformation. The structures
comprising a porous metallic matrix may further comprise a
substrate. As described previously, a shaped body may be formed by
applying the blend of collagen nanofibrils and metal powder onto
one or more portions of a substrate, and following subsequent
processing steps, the structure that results may comprise a porous
metallic matrix and the substrate. The substrate may have
characteristics in accordance with the preceding disclosure. With
respect to the instant structures, the porous metallic matrix may
be present on one or more surfaces of the substrate. For example,
the porous metallic matrix may comprise a coating on one or more
surfaces of the substrate. A "surface" of the substrate may be an
external face of the substrate or may be an internal portion of a
substrate, such as the inside of a substantially hollow spherical
substrate or one or more portions of the concave face of a
cup-shaped substrate.
[0061] Also in accordance with the preceding disclosure, the porous
structure may comprise any metal or metals that are chemically
stable within the collagen dispersion, e.g., prior to the formation
of the shaped body. For example, the porous structure may comprise
one or more of aluminum, copper, stainless steel, titanium, iron,
chromium, manganese, tin, iron, and zinc. The porous structure may
comprise a single metal species, or may comprise at least two
different metal species. When the porous structure comprises at
least two different metal species, the ratio of the first metal
species to a second metal species in the porous structure may be
about 1:1 to about 1:20 by weight. For example, the porous
structure may comprise a first metal species and a second metal
species in a ratio of about 1:1, about 1:2, about 1:5, about 1:9,
about 1:10, about 1:15, or about 1:20 by weight. Where at least two
metal species are present, a first species may be copper and
additional species may be one or more of aluminum, titanium, and
zinc. When the porous structure comprises at least two metal
species, the individual species may be substantially homogeneously
spatially distributed throughout the structure. For example, the
porous structure may comprise a substantially homogeneous
distribution of a first metal and a second metal. Sufficient
blending of the mixture of metal powder, collagen, and carrier
during the production of the porous structure is one acceptable way
to achieve a substantially homogeneous distribution of the
components of that mixture, and subsequent formation of the shaped
body "locks" the spatial distribution of the various components in
place.
EXAMPLES
Example 1
[0062] Table 1, below, provides a listing of various conditions
under which porous metallic structure were produced. Under various
processing conditions, the porous structures were respectively made
from aluminum, copper, stainless steel, titanium, zinc, and
mixtures of aluminum and copper, titanium and copper, and zinc and
copper. "M/C ratio" refers to the ratio of metal to collagen in the
blend used to form the respective shaped bodies. Crosslink testing
was performed with respect to some embodiments, and all embodiments
were made using a flash heating and sintering process in order to
remove a major proportion of the collagen nanofibrils in the
respective shaped bodies.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Aluminum M/C ratio 1:1, 5:1, 10:1, 20:1
Flash .degree. C. ambient, 400 Sintering .degree. C. 600, 900, 1100
Sinter Duration (hrs) 1, 3, 6 Copper (with crosslink testing) M/C
ratio 1:1, 5:1, 10:1, 20:1 Flash .degree. C. ambient, 400 Sintering
.degree. C. 600, 1100 Sinter Duration (hrs) 1, 3, 6 Stainless Steel
M/C ratio >20:1 Flash .degree. C. ambient, 600 Sintering
.degree. C. 1000, 1200 Sinter Duration (hrs) 1, 6 Titanium (with
crosslink testing) M/C ratio 1:1, 5:1, 10:1, 20:1 Flash .degree. C.
ambient, 600, 1200 Sintering .degree. C. 600, 1000, 1200 Sinter
Duration (hrs) 1, 8 Zinc M/C ratio 1:1, 5:1, 10:1, 20:1 Flash
.degree. C. ambient, 400, 600 Sintering .degree. C. 400, 600, 1100
Sinter Duration (hrs) 1, 3 Aluminum/Copper M/C ratio 10:1 Flash
.degree. C. 600 Flash Duration (hrs) 3 Sintering .degree. C. 600,
1000, 1200 Al/Cu ratio 1:1 Titanium/Copper (with crosslink testing)
M/C ratio 10:1 Flash .degree. C. 600 Flash Duration (hrs) 1, 2
Sintering .degree. C. 600, 800, 1200 Ti/Cu ratio 1:1 Zinc/Copper
M/C ratio 10:1 Flash .degree. C. 400 Flash Duration (hrs) 1, 3
Sintering .degree. C. 600, 900, 1000 Zn/Cu ratio 1:1, 1:9, 9:1
[0063] FIG. 2 provides images of porous metallic structures
produced in accordance with the present disclosure. Images were
acquired using a light microscope. Because optical microscopes have
a shallow depth of focus, a series of images at different "depths"
of each metallic structure were acquired, stored, and digitally
layered using Adobe Photoshop CS2.RTM. (Adobe Systems Incorporated,
San Jose, Calif.); the images in FIG. 2 are therefore enhanced
composites.
Example 2
Strength Testing
[0064] A method was developed for determining the relative strength
of samples formed using a variety of metals and under different
processing conditions. A custom vertical piston crush test
apparatus was manufactured, and consisted of two plastic packing
end caps from a cylindrical item, a large two-part rivet, two
washers and a machine screw with a concave end. A schematic of the
testing device is depicted in FIG. 3.
[0065] The experimental method for this device involved placing the
base portion 2 of the device on a laboratory scale 4. The porous
structure 6 for testing was deposited into the device via a hollow
shaft 8 connected to the base portion 2. The laboratory scale 4 was
zeroed, and an upper piston shaft 10 was inserted into hollow shaft
8 and brought into a resting position on top of the structure 6.
Weight 12 in the form of metal ball bearings was gradually added
into the top cup 14 of the device until the point at which the
structure collapses. The reading on the scale 4 at the time of the
collapse of structure 6 corresponds to the structure's "strength
rating".
[0066] A series of tests across the sample set were carried out
using the vertical piston device. All but one of the production
parameters was held constant in order to determine the relative
strength of the porous structures. Results are provided in FIGS. 4
and 5 and are expressed in terms of strength rating versus
sintering temperature. As used herein, the "strength rating"
represents a relative measurement and roughly translates into the
number of grams required for the porous structure to fail (crush).
Each of the data points in FIGS. 4 and 5 represents an average
value of multiple samples tested with respect to a particular set
of parameters. Experimental errors were small relative to data
values and are not depicted. FIG. 4 provides data for structures
comprising a single metal species, while FIG. 5 provides data for
structures comprising two different metal species. In FIG. 5, the
results for the hybrid zinc/copper structures are depicted as a set
of data points along the x-axis; these structures had a strength
below the minimum baseline.
[0067] The trend for all trials was such that strength was
positively correlated to sintering temperature, the only exception
being the aluminum/copper hybrid structure, which experienced a
decrease in strength between 1100.degree. C. and 1200.degree. C.
Some of the factors that contribute to the samples' performance in
these trials are particle size of the metal powder, extent of
sintering, melting point, and chemical reactivity of the
constituent ingredients. Table 2, below, shows the strongest
structures from each study and the applicable sintering
conditions.
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Top Strength Test Results Metal/Alloy
Strength Rating Sintering Temp .degree. C. Stainless Steel 998 1200
Titanium/Copper 953 1200 Aluminum/Copper 257 1200 Titanium 168 1100
Zinc 132 1100 Aluminum 114 1100 Copper 93 1100 Zinc/Copper (Below
Threshold) 1000
[0068] For many uses, the strength of a porous metallic structure
is not the only relevant criterion; morphology of the pores and
integrity of the mesh structure may also be important. The
characteristics of the metal powder particles used in the
production process seemed to influence the characteristics of the
resulting porous structure. As particle size increased, there was a
corresponding increase in the strength of the resulting porous
structure, but there was some decrease in the quality of pore
architecture.
[0069] The lowest strength performer of the structures formed from
a single metal species, that which was made from copper alone,
consisted of very fine particles and displayed an even pore
structure over its surface (see FIG. 2). In contrast, the titanium
structures, which consisted of comparatively larger particles,
performed well in the strength testing but had a less desirable
architecture. The aluminum structures, with their medium particle
size, had a performance rating that ranked between that of the
copper and titanium structures under both criteria, and the zinc
structures that performed rather well in strength testing had a
less consistent, "rockier" pore structure (see id.).
[0070] As for the structures that were made from more than one
metal species, although the stainless steel spheres (metal to
collagen ratio >20:1) performed very well in strength testing,
their porous architecture was dense and compacted (see FIG. 2). The
titanium/copper hybrid, which performed nearly as well in strength
testing as the stainless steel embodiments, evinced a rich and even
pore structure. The aluminum/copper structures also performed well
in the strength tests and included an even pore structure. Finally,
the zinc/copper structures performed very poorly in strength
testing, but seemed to have a well-distributed structure (see
id.).
[0071] Strength ratings were also higher for structures that
included more than one metal species as compared structures made
from a single species. Tables 3 and 4, below, provides a comparison
between the strength ratings measured with respect to structures
made from two metal species and structures made from one of such
species but not the other.
TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Aluminum Copper Aluminum/Copper Hybrid
Strength Rating 114 93 241
TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Titanium Copper Titanium/Copper Hybrid
Strength Rating 168 93 953
Example 3
Durability Testing
[0072] A method was developed for determining the relative
durability of samples formed using different metals and processing
conditions. Durability was defined in terms of a sample's ability
to withstand a fluidized environment. The experimental method
tested the rate at which porous metallic structures in accordance
with the present disclosure deteriorated when subjected to repeated
high-speed collisions, with each other and with the walls of the
test column itself. A custom fluidized collision column was
fabricated. It consisted of an acrylic cylinder, three lengths of
3/8'' tubing, a pressure regulator, a moisture trap, two modified
stoppers, two circular screens, and a pressurized air supply (see
FIG. 6A). FIGS. 6B and C provide additional views of the testing
apparatus.
[0073] In operation, air passes through the regulator into the
bottom of the column, passes through the bottom screen, and
fluidizes the porous structures. The top screen prevents the
structures from escaping, while the exhaust tube transfers
particles that are shed from the structures to a filter that traps
the particles for disposal. For ease of data measurement,
substantially spherical structures were tested. The experimental
method consisted of measuring the diameter of each sphere,
introduction of the sample spheres into the column, activating the
air supply and slowly adjusting the regulator until the structures
evenly travel the full height of the test column, allowing the
structures to collide with each other and with the walls of the
column for a measured period of time, removal of the structures
from the column, and measuring the diameter of each sphere.
[0074] A short series of tests to determine the durability of some
exemplary structures was carried out using the fluidized collision
device. Only structures made from stainless steel and
titanium/copper, respectively, were eligible for the testing, as
structures made from other metals performed below the threshold
(exhibiting near immediate failure) in preliminary testing. The
average diameter of a 12 total structures was measured at the start
of testing and recorded incrementally thereafter to determine the
rate of structural attrition when subjected to repeated high speed
collisions.
[0075] FIG. 7 depicts the results of the durability tests,
expressing average sphere diameters as a function of the amount of
time spent in the testing apparatus. The results obtained for the
durability study demonstrated that the stainless steel spheres
slowly diminished in diameter over the testing period of twelve
hours. The stainless steel structures had an average diameter 3.7
mm at the beginning of the testing period, and had an average
diameter of 2 mm following testing. It also appeared as though
there was a decrease in the rate at which the stainless steel
structures lost mass as the end of a given trial, indicating that
the strength of adhesion between the metal particles of which the
structure consists was greater than the force of collision at the
diminished mass, i.e., as the structures lose mass, the force
generated upon collision was no longer sufficient to dislodge
particles. In contrast, the titanium/copper structures were
entirely destroyed at the end of an 8 hour testing period; no
particles or large remnants of the titanium/copper structures
remained in the column following the test period.
Example 4
Heating a Shaped Body Above the Eutectic to Control Pore Size and
Morphology
[0076] An exemplary collagen dispersion may consists of 3 major
constituents plus additives. The relative quantities may be as
follows:
TABLE-US-00005 collagen nanofibrils 1 parts by mass acetic acid 5
water 94 additives 0-50 (relative to collagen)
The dispersion plus additives are processed by rapidly freezing the
desired material below the eutectic temperature and then freeze
drying. The resulting pore size and morphology consists of a
regular matrix of <5 micron pore diameters and wire-like
collagen structure.
[0077] In order to create specific pore sizes and matrix
morphology, the process of controlled meltback is used. In this
process, the dispersion formulation described above is frozen
rapidly to a temperature well below the eutectic temperature. The
frozen dispersion is then reheated and held at a given temperature
for a certain amount of time. This process induces a chemical
potential which causes the viscous collagen-rich mobile phase to
coat the ice particles. Upon refreezing and subsequent freeze
drying the pores are created.
[0078] The eutectic temperature and the phase diagram are
determined for each formulation by Differential Scanning
calorimetry (DSC). An exemplary phase diagram is provided in FIG.
8. The induced chemical potential in terms of non-equilibrium,
mobile phase pH is calculated by overlaying the processing
conditions onto the phase diagram.
[0079] A example of the conditions required to create certain pore
sizes follows. The phase diagram for each dispersion is different
depending on the specific surface area of the collagen nanofibrils,
the concentration of the collagen nanofibrils, the type and amount
of acid, and the type and amount of additive. Prior to processing
the phase diagram specifics are determined using DSC. A pulsed NMR
technique, invented by Anderson & Tice of the Cold Regions Lab
in Hanover (and typically used for soils) has also bee successfully
used to determine the specifics of the phase diagram.
[0080] Typical processing conditions are listed below for the
production of a porous matrix with leafy morphology and 50 micron
diameter pores.
[0081] Formulation
TABLE-US-00006 Collagen Nanofibrils (porcine) 1 part by mass Acetic
Acid 5 Water 94 Additives 0
[0082] Processing
TABLE-US-00007 Geometry 3 mm spheres Freezing temperature
-196.degree. C. Eutectic temperature -27.degree. C. Soak
temperature -12.degree. C. Soak time, h 16 Refreeze temperature
-85.degree. C. Lyophilization 3 days at high vacuum (<10 mT)
Condenser at -45.degree. C. Shelf temperature at -5.degree. C.
Crosslinking 5 days at full vacuum (<0.1 in. Hg) at a
temperature of 113.degree. C.
[0083] In one specific example, the processing conditions were as
follows:
TABLE-US-00008 eutectic temperature -27.degree. C. from DSC LHS
Temperature 0.degree. C. from DSC RHS Temperature 10.degree. C.
from DSC eutectic composition 47% from DSC formulation composition
5% user input soak temperature -15.degree. C. user input K acid
1.80E-05 unique to each acid MW acid 60 unique to each acid M
original 0.83 mols/L calculated pH original 2.41 calculated from
equilibrium constant FP line slope -0.57 intercept 0 calculated
from DSC info concentration: soak Liquid 26.11% calculated from DSC
info M soak liquid 4.35 calculated from DSC info pH soak liquid
2.05 calculated from DSC info chemical potential original pH 2.41
soak liq pH 2.05 percentage ice 80.85% collagen mobile phase 19.15%
original soak material balance formulation conditions collagen 1 1
% acid re liq acid 5 5 26.11 to CAW liq water 94 13.15 ice
80.85
Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate how such
techniques may be applied to a shaped body that comprises metal
powder in addition to collagen and carrier.
Example 5
Preparation of Coated Substrates
[0084] Substrates in the form of stainless steel metal screens were
coated with a blend of collagen and titanium dioxide (TiO.sub.2)
metal powder to form screens that are coated with anatase- or
brookite-TiO.sub.2 and are suitable use as photocatalysts.
[0085] In an exemplary procedure, prior to coating with TiO.sub.2
photocatalyst precursor, stainless steel screens were cleaned by
soaking in 5% NaOH solution in deionized water, followed by rinsing
with deionized water, soaking a second time in NaOH solution, and
rinsing again.
[0086] Collagen dispersions were prepared by forming a mixture of
deionized water and crude bovine corium (collagen type I,
containing 10-15% collagen) and ball milling the mixture in a
ceramic container using zirconium milling beads to unravel the
collagen fibers. Ball milling speed maintained at 35 rpm for one
week. The milled corium was sieved three times to remove unmilled
corium, and the sieved, milled corium was centrifuged at 3000 rpm
for one hour to recover collagen fibers as "collagen paste."
Collagen paste was combined with deionized water and acetic acid at
a desired ratio of collagen/acid/water, and was blended thoroughly
to produce a collagen dispersion.
[0087] Catalyst precursor material was produced by blending
titanium metal powder (Aldrich, Titanium, powder, -100 mesh, 99.7%)
into the collagen dispersion. Catalyst precursor was drop-fed into
liquid nitrogen to form spherical beads of frozen catalyst
precursor. Frozen precursor beads were dehydrated by lyophilization
for 72 hours.
[0088] Two different coating techniques were found to be suitable
for producing TiO.sub.2-coated screens. A first technique (A)
included dipping a screen into liquid nitrogen, dipping into the
solution of collagen and catalyst precursor, and submersion into
liquid nitrogen to form a frozen coat of catalyst precursor. A
second technique (B) omitted the first freezing step; screens were
dipped into the solution of collagen and catalyst precursor and
then submerged in liquid nitrogen to form a frozen coat of catalyst
precursor.
[0089] To ensure complete removal of any bound moisture and to
effect crosslinking, coated screens from were placed in a vacuum
oven set at 110.degree. C. in Hg for 8 hours. This process may
optionally be omitted because the sintering process ordinarily
burns off any excess moisture. There has been some indication that
crosslinking cause some small shrinkage in the collagen matrix and
may then affect the ultimate morphology of the matrix.
[0090] To induce the formation of the brookite and anatase
TiO.sub.2 crystal morphologies, the coated screens were then
sintered for a period of 1-5 hours, depending on the sample. It was
expected that anatase would form on screens that had been sintered
at 550.degree. C., while brookite crystal structure would occur on
screens that had been sintered at 300.degree. C. Following such
heat treatment, catalyst precursor was converted to catalyst. It is
unlikely that all of the collagen will be removed by sintering at
300.degree. C.
[0091] FIG. 9A depicts a microscope image of a portion of an
uncoated stainless steel screen, and FIG. 9B shows a microscope
image of a portion of that screen following coating with TiO.sub.2
catalyst material.
[0092] Upon analysis of microscope images of the sintered and
coated screens, it was observed that in some samples not all of the
collagen had been burned off during sintering. The incomplete
combustion of the collagen may have resulted from inadequate oxygen
supply during sintering, inadequate length of sintering time, and
temperature of sintering. Unexpectedly, it was also observed that
the presence of residual collagen increased the strength of the
adherence of the titanium dioxide photocatalyst to the stainless
steel screen substrate. Without intending to be bound by any
particular theory of operation, TiO.sub.2 photocatalyst crystals
may become enmeshed within the fibrous collagen, leading to an
increase in the general cohesiveness of the TiO.sub.2/collagen
coating. An important property of the "coated screen" embodiment is
to maintain the adherence of the sintered metal to the screen
substrate after application. It has been found that at low
sintering temperatures, the metal will adhere well to the substrate
but will be contaminated with residual collagen. It was also found
that at high sintering temperatures, the metal will stay on the
substrate but may be of a different isomorph. For example, when the
metal is titanium, at high sintering temperatures the form of the
oxide may be rutile, which is less active than the anatase phase
that is produced at a lower sintering temperatures. The present
investigation included the discovery of the need for a balance
between removal of residual collagen and the maintenance of the
desired isomorph of titanium.
* * * * *