Fabrication and pore structure characteristics of porous Fe-Al intermetallics

Porous FeAl intermetallics has been prepared through step pressureless reactive synthesis using Fe, Al powder as raw materials and the pore structure of porous FeAl has been characterized. The effect of Al content on the permeability, maximum pore size and porosity of porous FeAl intermetallics has also been studied through change the proportion of Fe and Al elemental powder. The results show that the Al content is one of the main factors for the porosity, and strictly linear increment rule between the porosity and Al content is confirmed in Fe-Al intermetallics with the Al content ranging from 20%~45% (mass fraction). The effect of Al content on permeability and maximum pore size is similar as that on porosity. The permeability (K), the open porosity (θ) and maximum aperture (d_m) have the relationship of K = 0.2538d_m²θ.