Process development of 99.95% pure copper processed via selective electron beam melting and its mechanical and physical properties

Additive manufacturing by selective electron beam melting (SEBM) was used to fabricate pure copper specimens. A process window at process temperature of 530 °C, gives the required beam powers and deflection speeds for manufacturing dense specimens (>99.5%). The microstructure of SEBM specimens was analyzed by using optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, hardness, and mechanical performance were investigated by using eddy current, laser flash analysis, Vickers hardness and tensile tests, respectively. It was found that the variation of beam power and scan speed results in different microstructures from columnar to nearly equiaxed grain. The electrical conductivity of SEBM-processed specimens was above 58 MS/m (>100 IACS) while their hardness was around 55 HV0.05 and 46 HV5 without any dependency on processing parameters within the process window. The tensile tests revealed how vertical cracks affect the mechanical strength under tensile loading condition. The results of this study not only show a reliable process window but also introduce the links between processing parameters, defect formations, conductivity and mechanical strength of pure copper specimens manufactured by SEBM.