An Investigation in Binder Jetting of Copper Graphene Composites

Abstract: The purpose of this work is to explore the feasibility of using binder jetting to print copper-graphene composites. This work discusses in detail the approach used to print the composite samples which are optimised through various processes to generate denser parts than a copper reference print and finally discussing various opportunities to enhance development of the process. The preliminary results suggest that graphene improves the printing process giving faster sintering and more dense samples. From the findings, it can be concluded that at 1060OC for dwell time of 8 hours the density of copper composite(98.9±0.3%), copper reference (94.8±0.6%) and pressed composite pellets (99.1±0.1%) have the maximum density. Also, the presence of graphene seems to increase hardness and improve conductivity but further studies are required to confirm this. However, due to contamination of external elements in bulk due to porous surface of printed samples with binder jetting, hardness and electrical conductivity can be improved by further densification.