3D printing for heat transfer: characterisation of additive manufactured copper

Clean Energy Research Group, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, University of Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

Recent technological advancements now allow for copper to be 3D printed, opening the doors for this technology to take a greater part in heat transfer applications. In this study, copper samples were additively manufactured through a print-debind-sinter process and thermally characterised in terms of thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity, and mechanically characterised in terms of Vickers hardness. The microstructure porosity levels appeared to control the thermal properties measured, with the thermal conductivity, while the specific heat was unaffected, while the heat treatment effect caused by the sintering process appeared to control the Vickers hardness measured.