3D printing copper – Graphene oxide nanocomposites

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a disruptive technology that can pave the way to the fabrication of innovative components with tailored characteristics for several industrial applications. However, in order to deal with a feasible and valuable outcome, a number of issues still needs to be critically addressed, especially referring to metal components for high demanding performances. In this regard, selective laser melting (SLM) is the most common 3D printing technique to process metal and alloy powders, but the results are often sub-optimal due to the metal-laser interaction. Copper powder is a typical example, being characterized by high reflectance and high surface tension that make the its additive manufacturing particularly tricky. With the aim to overcame this limitation, composites can represent a suitable approach to design samples with improved features. In this framework, graphene oxide (GO) was here considered as a potential nanofiller to be added to the copper powder, providing valuable insights on the fabrication process, carried out by means of SLM. Composite properties were assessed in terms of reflectance measurements, density evaluation, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, thermal and electrical conductivities, and mechanical characterization, showing a clear evidence that GO can effectively support a fine tuning of the AM process.