Methods of manufacturing microporous metallic membranes

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF MICROPOROUS METALLIC MEMBRANES BY SELECTIVE ATTACK OF THE CONSTITUENTS OF AN ALLOY, FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING MEMBRANES HAVING VERY FINE PORES OF LESS THAN ABOUT 0.12U, COMPRISING: FORMING A BIMETALLIC ROLLABLE ALLOY WITH A FIRST AND A SECOND METAL, SAID SECOND METAL BEING DISTINCTLY LESS NOBLE THAN THE FIRST METAL AND AT LEAST 4% OF THE ATOMS OF SAID ALLOY BEING OF THE SECOND METAL; FORMING A THIN MEMBRANE OF SUCH ALLOY; AND SUBJECTING SAID MEMBRANE TO AN ELECTROCHEMICAL TREATMENT WHICH SELECTIVELY CAUSES THE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE DISSOLUTION OF THE SECOND METAL BY SUBJECTING THE ATOMS OF SAID SECOND METAL TO AN EXTRACTION POTENTIAL PERMITTING ITS REMOVAL FROM THE ALLOY; SAID EXTRACTION POTENTIAL BEING OBTAINED ELECTROLYTICALLY BY BRINGING THE MEMBRANE, WHILST IN AN ELECTROLYTIC SOLUTION, TO AN ANODE POTENTIAL ABOUT THE SAME AS THE DISSOLUTION POTENTIAL OF THE FIRST METAL IN SAID ELECTROLYTIC SOLUTION,