Patent ID: 6935022

Claim:
A process to manufacture a heat pipe, comprising: providing a first feedstock, having a first volume, that further comprises first particles, having a mean diameter less than about 30 microns, uniformly dispersed within a first binder, said first particles occupying between about 50 and 65% of said first volume; providing a second feedstock, having a second volume, that further comprises second particles, having a mean diameter between about 40 and 200 microns, uniformly dispersed within a second binder, said second particles occupying between about 30 and 40% of said second volume; molding said first feedstock around a first insert to form a green body; then removing said first insert from the green body thereby forming, in the green body, a cavity having one closed end and one open end; adding a second insert to said cavity; filling said cavity with said second feedstock; removing all binding materials from said green body and from said second feedstock inside said cavity, thereby forming a first skeleton within which is a second skeleton that is more porous than said first skeleton; sintering said first and second skeletons, thereby forming a dense body that includes an interior wick; introducing a working fluid into said wick; and then sealing said open end, thereby forming said heat pipe.