News Release

JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation (President: Seiichi Murayama) has developed a pure copper powder for Additive Manufacturing (AM) that can solve the long-standing problem of insufficient density in parts formed by AM equipment.  The Company expects to begin providing samples in early 2020.

There is growing momentum for commercialization of metal AM, given their ability to form complex shapes and to meet the needs for small-lot or made-to-order production.  Adoption of such AM equipment has in fact already begun in such fields as aeronautics, automotive vehicles, and medical care. At the same time, however, there are still many issues on the technical front in the manufacture of metal powders used as materials in metal AM.  A particular obstacle for AM using pure copper powder has been the low relative density*1 of the formed parts.

In the newly developed pure copper powder, this issue is addressed by applying special surface treatment to the powder surface to prevent surface oxidation (see Figure 1).  Using copper powder to which this surface treatment has been applied, relative density of 99.94% is achieved with parts formed by electron beam melting; moreover, pre-sintering (adhesion of fine copper particles to each other during the preheating process prior to forming) is prevented.*2  The result is that delicate, complex shapes with hollow structure can be formed with a high degree of freedom (see Figure 2).  A high relative density of 98.56% is achieved also in parts formed by laser metal deposition.  Taking advantage of its excellent properties like these, the newly developed pure copper powder is expected to find wide use in applications such as heat spreaders in servers, and water-cooled cooling units in automotive vehicles.

The JX Nippon Mining & Metals Group is seeking to expand our lineup of metal powders for 3D printers, including titanium alloy powders from Group companies Toho Titanium Co., Ltd. and Toho Technical Service Co., Ltd., and tantalum and niobium alloy powders from H.C. Starck Tantalum and Niobium GmbH, in addition to the newly developed pure copper powder.  The Group will continue devoting its combined strengths to meeting a wide range of customer needs.

It is planned to exhibit the newly developed pure copper powder at the 6th Highly Functional Metal Expo to be held on December 4 to 6 at Makuhari Messe (Makuhari, Chiba).  We hope to have many visitors.

*1    The actual measured density of a laminated object expressed as a percentage of the theoretical density.
*2    Collaborative research with Prof. Akihiko Chiba of the Deformation Processing, Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University.


Figure 1. Prevention of Oxidation by Surface Treatment
 

Figure 2. Difference between Formed Parts with and without Surface Treatment (illustration)
    
Delicate, complex  shapes with hollow structure can be created since pre-sintering (adhesion of fine copper particles to each other in the preheating process) does not occur.



(For reference) Pure copper powder for Additive Manufacturing after surface treatment

(For reference) Conductivity of parts formed by each method

Electron beam melting	Laser metal deposition
101% IACS	100% IACS