Porous Copper Structures: a Pathway to Enhanced Energy Storage Devices

This study provides an exhaustive review of current research focused on the advanced processing methods used in the fabrication of porous materials across a variety of metals. Several sophisticated techniques are employed to produce these porous metals, including the space holder method, powder metallurgy, additive manufacturing techniques, and plasma spraying, each offering unique advantages and applications. The inspiration for utilizing porous materials stems from nature's own designs, such as the structures found in wood, bone, coral, cork, and sponges, which demonstrate remarkable strength-to-weight ratios and mechanical resilience. Among the metals, porous copper has captured considerable attention due to its outstanding porous architecture, coupled with superior physical and mechanical properties that lend themselves to a broad range of applications. The study delves into the optimization of heat transfer performance, which is achieved through a synergistic effect combining efficient heat conduction within the metal matrix and enhanced heat convection resulting from fluid flow through the porous structure. This interaction significantly boosts thermal conductivity, which is shown to increase as relative density rises, following a distinct power-law relationship. Additionally, the study meticulously examines the exponent value that characterizes the relationship between thermal conductivity and relative density, offering deeper insights into the governing principles of heat transfer in porous metals.