Fabrication of lotus-type porous copper through thermal decomposition of titanium hydride

Lotus-type porous copper was fabricated by unidirectional solidification through thermal decomposition of titanium hydride. Effects of additive method and additive amount of titanium hydride on pore formation were investigated. The porosity of lotus copper depends on additive method and additive amount of titanium hydride. The pore formation effectively occurs in the method that titanium hydride decomposes in molten copper. For all the additive methods of titanium hydride, the porosity increases and pore diameter does not change with increasing additive amount of titanium hydride. While, for adding large amount of titanium hydride, the porosity became constant. This is because hydrogen solubility in liquid phase does not change owing to bubbling of hydrogen gas.