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<p>Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-EB/M) offers significant potential for manufacturing pure copper components, but achieving economically viable and stable processes relies heavily on powder reuse. The high reactivity of copper and its sensitivity to oxygen pose challenges to maintaining consistent powder properties, which directly affect process stability and part quality. This study investigates and compares two distinct powder management strategies—the SINT method and the THIRD method—designed to mitigate oxidation and degradation during the PBF-EB/M processing of 99.95% pure copper. We evaluated the evolution of key characteristics in both the reused powder (Particle Size Distribution (PSD), flowability, and bulk density) and the consolidated material (oxidation, densification, and electrical conductivity). The SINT method, which categorizes powder into batches based on sintering cycles (SN0 to SN9), led to a progressive increase in oxygen content (averaging an increase of 23.7 ppm per cycle up to SN6) and a correlated decrease in flowability and densification (down to 96.81% relative density). This degradation eventually reached a critical point (SN8/SN9) where stable manufacturing was no longer possible due to “smoke” generation. Conversely, the THIRD method, which involves continuous compensation with new powder and strictly controlled exposure to ambient humidity, demonstrated superior stability. Over 59 consecutive reuse cycles, the THIRD method maintained stable PSD, flowability (reduction of only 2.85%), and high densification (above 99.38% relative density). Crucially, the oxygen content remained low, never exceeding 170 ppm, and the electrical conductivity of the parts remained consistently high (above 99.5% IACS). In conclusion, while the SINT method is limited by rapid powder degradation, the THIRD method provides a robust and sustainable strategy for the industrial implementation of PBF-EB/M pure copper, effectively minimizing property degradation and ensuring high-quality parts with excellent electrical conductivity over extended reuse cycles.</p>

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Reuse of pure copper in electron beam powder bed fusion

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月24日

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  • José Ramón Blasco Puchades,
  • Luís Portolés Griñán,
  • Carlos Alberto Bloem Irazabal,
  • Salvador Bernardo Sanjuan Manzana,
  • Lorenzo Solano García,
  • Juan Antonio García-Manrique

摘要

Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-EB/M) offers significant potential for manufacturing pure copper components, but achieving economically viable and stable processes relies heavily on powder reuse. The high reactivity of copper and its sensitivity to oxygen pose challenges to maintaining consistent powder properties, which directly affect process stability and part quality. This study investigates and compares two distinct powder management strategies—the SINT method and the THIRD method—designed to mitigate oxidation and degradation during the PBF-EB/M processing of 99.95% pure copper. We evaluated the evolution of key characteristics in both the reused powder (Particle Size Distribution (PSD), flowability, and bulk density) and the consolidated material (oxidation, densification, and electrical conductivity). The SINT method, which categorizes powder into batches based on sintering cycles (SN0 to SN9), led to a progressive increase in oxygen content (averaging an increase of 23.7 ppm per cycle up to SN6) and a correlated decrease in flowability and densification (down to 96.81% relative density). This degradation eventually reached a critical point (SN8/SN9) where stable manufacturing was no longer possible due to “smoke” generation. Conversely, the THIRD method, which involves continuous compensation with new powder and strictly controlled exposure to ambient humidity, demonstrated superior stability. Over 59 consecutive reuse cycles, the THIRD method maintained stable PSD, flowability (reduction of only 2.85%), and high densification (above 99.38% relative density). Crucially, the oxygen content remained low, never exceeding 170 ppm, and the electrical conductivity of the parts remained consistently high (above 99.5% IACS). In conclusion, while the SINT method is limited by rapid powder degradation, the THIRD method provides a robust and sustainable strategy for the industrial implementation of PBF-EB/M pure copper, effectively minimizing property degradation and ensuring high-quality parts with excellent electrical conductivity over extended reuse cycles.