Pure Copper (Cu)
Pure copper offers the highest thermal and electrical conductivity of any AM metal. Green laser or EBM systems have unlocked reliable copper printing for heat exchangers, induction coils, and electrical busbars with complex geometries.
About Pure Copper (Cu)
Pure copper has historically been one of the most challenging metals to print via LPBF due to its high infrared laser reflectivity (>95%) and extreme thermal conductivity. The advent of green lasers (515 nm wavelength, ~70% absorptance in copper) and high-power infrared systems have made reliable copper AM a commercial reality.
AM copper enables geometrically complex heat exchangers, induction coils, and rocket engine combustion chambers that would be impossible to manufacture conventionally. The ability to print internal cooling channels in a single piece eliminates joints that would otherwise limit thermal performance.
Typical Applications
- Heat exchangers and heat sinks
- Induction coils
- Rocket engine combustion chambers
- Electrical busbars and connectors
- RF waveguides
Engineering Considerations
- Requires green laser LPBF or EBM — standard IR laser systems produce poor results
- Very limited supplier base — fewer providers have green laser capability
- Oxidation during handling and storage must be managed
- Binder jetting offers an alternative route but with lower density (~97%)