Fabrication of Cu-CNT Composite and Cu Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing
Additive manufacturing (AM) as a disruptive technique has offered great potential to design and fabricate many metallic components for aerospace, medical, nuclear, and energy applications where parts have complex geometry. However, a limited number of materials suitable for the AM process is one of...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Powders |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2674-0516/1/4/14 |
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| author | Leila Ladani Jafar Razmi Maryam Sadeghilaridjani |
| author_facet | Leila Ladani Jafar Razmi Maryam Sadeghilaridjani |
| author_sort | Leila Ladani |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Additive manufacturing (AM) as a disruptive technique has offered great potential to design and fabricate many metallic components for aerospace, medical, nuclear, and energy applications where parts have complex geometry. However, a limited number of materials suitable for the AM process is one of the shortcomings of this technique, in particular laser AM of copper (Cu) is challenging due to its high thermal conductivity and optical reflectivity, which requires higher heat input to melt powders. Fabrication of composites using AM is also very challenging and not easily achievable using the current powder bed technologies. Here, the feasibility to fabricate pure copper and copper-carbon nanotube (Cu-CNT) composites was investigated using laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing (LPBF-AM), and 10 × 10 × 10 mm<sup>3</sup> cubes of Cu and Cu-CNTs were made by applying a Design of Experiment (DoE) varying three parameters: laser power, laser speed, and hatch spacing at three levels. For both Cu and Cu-CNT samples, relative density above 90% and 80% were achieved, respectively. Density measurement was carried out three times for each sample, and the error was found to be less than 0.1%. Roughness measurement was performed on a 5 mm length of the sample to obtain statistically significant results. As-built Cu showed average surface roughness (<i>R</i><sub>a</sub>) below 20 µm; however, the surface of AM Cu-CNT samples showed roughness values as large as 1 mm. Due to its porous structure, the as-built Cu showed thermal conductivity of ~108 W/m·K and electrical conductivity of ~20% IACS (International Annealed Copper Standard) at room temperature, ~70% and ~80% lower than those of conventionally fabricated bulk Cu. Thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity were ~85 W/m·K and ~10% IACS for as-built Cu-CNT composites at room temperature. As-built Cu-CNTs showed higher thermal conductivity as compared to as-built Cu at a temperature range from 373 K to 873 K. Because of their large surface area, light weight, and large energy absorbing behavior, porous Cu and Cu-CNT materials can be used in electrodes, catalysts and their carriers, capacitors, heat exchangers, and heat and impact absorption. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:28:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-43aa4064e9534f1ea9e063feec9f2421 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2674-0516 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:28:12Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Powders |
| spelling | doaj.art-43aa4064e9534f1ea9e063feec9f24212023-11-16T17:50:38ZengMDPI AGPowders2674-05162022-10-011420722010.3390/powders1040014Fabrication of Cu-CNT Composite and Cu Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive ManufacturingLeila Ladani0Jafar Razmi1Maryam Sadeghilaridjani2School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USASchool of Sustainable Engineering and Build Environment, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USASchool for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USAAdditive manufacturing (AM) as a disruptive technique has offered great potential to design and fabricate many metallic components for aerospace, medical, nuclear, and energy applications where parts have complex geometry. However, a limited number of materials suitable for the AM process is one of the shortcomings of this technique, in particular laser AM of copper (Cu) is challenging due to its high thermal conductivity and optical reflectivity, which requires higher heat input to melt powders. Fabrication of composites using AM is also very challenging and not easily achievable using the current powder bed technologies. Here, the feasibility to fabricate pure copper and copper-carbon nanotube (Cu-CNT) composites was investigated using laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing (LPBF-AM), and 10 × 10 × 10 mm<sup>3</sup> cubes of Cu and Cu-CNTs were made by applying a Design of Experiment (DoE) varying three parameters: laser power, laser speed, and hatch spacing at three levels. For both Cu and Cu-CNT samples, relative density above 90% and 80% were achieved, respectively. Density measurement was carried out three times for each sample, and the error was found to be less than 0.1%. Roughness measurement was performed on a 5 mm length of the sample to obtain statistically significant results. As-built Cu showed average surface roughness (<i>R</i><sub>a</sub>) below 20 µm; however, the surface of AM Cu-CNT samples showed roughness values as large as 1 mm. Due to its porous structure, the as-built Cu showed thermal conductivity of ~108 W/m·K and electrical conductivity of ~20% IACS (International Annealed Copper Standard) at room temperature, ~70% and ~80% lower than those of conventionally fabricated bulk Cu. Thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity were ~85 W/m·K and ~10% IACS for as-built Cu-CNT composites at room temperature. As-built Cu-CNTs showed higher thermal conductivity as compared to as-built Cu at a temperature range from 373 K to 873 K. Because of their large surface area, light weight, and large energy absorbing behavior, porous Cu and Cu-CNT materials can be used in electrodes, catalysts and their carriers, capacitors, heat exchangers, and heat and impact absorption.https://www.mdpi.com/2674-0516/1/4/14laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturingcoppercarbon nanotubethermal conductivitydensityroughness |
| spellingShingle | Leila Ladani Jafar Razmi Maryam Sadeghilaridjani Fabrication of Cu-CNT Composite and Cu Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing Powders laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing copper carbon nanotube thermal conductivity density roughness |
| title | Fabrication of Cu-CNT Composite and Cu Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing |
| title_full | Fabrication of Cu-CNT Composite and Cu Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing |
| title_fullStr | Fabrication of Cu-CNT Composite and Cu Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fabrication of Cu-CNT Composite and Cu Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing |
| title_short | Fabrication of Cu-CNT Composite and Cu Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing |
| title_sort | fabrication of cu cnt composite and cu using laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing |
| topic | laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing copper carbon nanotube thermal conductivity density roughness |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2674-0516/1/4/14 |
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