Surface-modified copper powders with submicrometer tungsten particles for high thermal and electrical conductivity processed via laser powder bed fusion
摘要
In recent years, significant progress has been made in the processing of copper (Cu) using laser powder bed fusion for metals (PBF-LB/M). This study investigates a Cu powder mechanically bonded with 3 vol% submicrometer tungsten (W) particles. The copper-tungsten (Cu/W) composite powder provides an alternative to pure Cu for use in PBF-LB/M systems equipped with red light lasers operating at a wavelength of 1070 nm and low laser power below 270 W, while maintaining high thermal and electrical conductivity. The enhanced laser absorptivity of the modified powder enables processing under these conditions. The processed specimens achieve high relative densities of 99.78 % measured optically and 96.46 % measured by the Archimedes method. Thermal conductivity reaches values up to 369.7 W/(m