Manufacturing of Porous Coatings With Micro-Scale Features for Improved Boiling Heat Transfer

Several recent heat transfer studies indicated that porous surfaces with modulated porous surface features lead to an improved boiling heat transfer efficiency. Thus, the aim of this study is to develop a novel manufacturing process that will produce the modulated porous surfaces cost-effectively. In this study, compaction and sintering experiment were conducted to investigate the consolidation performance of the powder into micro-scale features. The effects of compaction force and sintering on the pore size and mechanical strength of the formed micro-features were investigated. It was found that sintering at 800°C for 20 minutes can significantly increases the strength of the compacted part, while the interconnected pore structure was maintained.