Preparation and selective laser sintering of nylon-12 coated copper powders

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to prepare metal/polymer composite materials prepared by additive manufacturing (AM) technology. Design/methodology/approach The effect of sintering parameters including laser power, scanning speed and slice thickness on strength and accuracy of selective laser sintering (SLS) parts were analyzed experimentally. Then, the laser sintering mechanism of nylon-12 coated copper was discussed through analyzing the interfacial reaction of nylon-12 and copper. The SLS parts were infiltrated with epoxy resin to meet the strength requirements of injection molding. Findings In this study, mechanical mixed nylon-12/copper and nylon-12 coated copper composite powders were investigated and compared as SLS materials. An effective dissolution–precipitation method was proposed to prepare nylon-12 coated copper powders with better processing and mechanical properties. The bending strength and modulus of fabricated parts after infiltration with epoxy reach 65.3 MPa and 3,200 MPa, respectively. Originality/value The composite materials can be used in the manufacture of injection molds with a conformal cooling channel for the production of common plastics in prototype quantities, showing a broad application prospect in rapid tooling.