Porous material made with metal or metal alloy, which may be a coating, can be made from a first intermediate and then a second intermediate. For instance, the first intermediate may be provided by providing the metal or metal alloy, and a pore-holding substance and combining the metal or metal alloy, and the pore-holding substance. The second intermediate can be provided, for instance, by forming from the first intermediate, a matrix of metal or metal alloy, in which is dispersed the pore-holding substance, for example, with thermal spraying. The porous material can be made by contacting the second intermediate with a pore-forming substance under conditions such that pore-holding substance in the matrix contacted with the pore-forming substance is reduced in size or removed to leave pores in remaining metal or metal alloy to provide a constituent of a metal or metal alloy with pores.
