Influence of porosity and impurities on the thermal conductivity of pressure-less sintered Cu powder green bodies

Copper as a material with a high electrical and thermal conductivity awakes large interest for many applications in industry, e.g. thermal management of electronic components. Powder-based manufacturing techniques (e.g. Selective Laser Melting, Binder Jetting, Fused Filament Fabrication and Metal Injection Molding) enable the complex shaping of metals. Especially the methods without melting processes like Binder Jetting, Fused Filament Fabrication and Metal Injection Molding have a great potential for complex Cu structures. These techniques built up a powder-based green body and require a subsequent sintering step to reach a high density with maximum properties. This work reports the development of the heat conductivity during pressure-less sintering of Cu powder green bodies. The experimental results are compared to analytical models and a numerical simulation and show the limits of the reachable heat conductivity depending on the remaining porosity and the impurity concentration.

Automated summary

Copper, known for its high electrical and thermal conductivity, is highly sought after in various industrial applications, especially in thermal management of electronic components. Powder-based manufacturing techniques allow for complex shaping of metals, providing great potential for complex copper structures. However, achieving high density and maximum properties requires a sintering step, with limitations on achievable heat conductivity depending on remaining porosity and impurity concentration.