IP Library Granted Patent US 12,649,182
Granted Patent B2
US 12,649,182 · App. 17/295,205 · Granted Jun 9, 2026

Copper powder for 3D printing, method for producing copper powder for 3D printing, method for producing 3D printed article, and 3D printed article

Inventors: Daisuke Katayama (Hyogo, JP); Masato Nakazawa (Hyogo, JP); Kaori Igami (Hyogo, JP); Takahiro Sugahara (Osaka, JP); Takayuki Nakamoto (Osaka, JP); Takao Miki (Osaka, JP); Sohei Uchida (Osaka, JP)
Assignees: MEC COMPANY, LTD.; OSAKA RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
B22F1/05B22F1/142B22F10/28B33Y70/00B33Y80/00B22F2301/10B22F2302/25B22F2304/10
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,649,182
App. No.
17/295,205
Granted
Jun 9, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention relates to a copper powder for additive manufacturing, a method for producing the same, an additive manufactured product, a method for producing the same and the like, and an object of the present invention is to provide a copper powder for additive manufacturing that can sufficiently improve the mechanical strength and electrical conductivity of an additive manufactured product. The means for achieving the above-mentioned object of the present invention is, for example, a copper powder for additive manufacturing having a mean particle size of 1 μm or more and 150 μm or less, containing copper oxide in an amount of 0.10 g/m 2 or more and 7.0 g/m 2 or less per unit surface area and 0.5 mass % or more and 9.4 mass % or less per unit mass.

Claims (17)

1 . A copper powder for additive manufacturing having a mean particle size of 1 μm or more and 150 μm or less and comprising:

copper oxide in an amount of 0.10 g/m 2 or more and 7.0 g/m 2 or less per unit surface area, copper oxide in an amount of 1.3 mass % or more and 9.4 mass % or less per unit mass, a content of cuprous oxide (Cu 2 O) of 1.3 mass % or more and 9.4 mass % or less, and a content of cupric oxide (CuO) of 1.7 mass % or less.

2 . The copper powder for additive manufacturing according to claim 1 , having a reflectance for light having a wavelength of 1070 nm of 65% or less.

3 . The copper powder for additive manufacturing according to claim 1 , having an angle of repose of 50 degrees or less.

4 . The copper powder for additive manufacturing according to claim 1 , having a rate of change of specific surface area of 50% or less as calculated by the formula:

[(specific surface area before removal of copper oxide÷specific surface area after removal of copper oxide)−1]×100.

5 . The copper powder for additive manufacturing according to claim 1 , having a coating peeling percentage of less than 80% as calculated by the formula:

[number of coating peeling powders/100 copper powders counted]×100

wherein the number of coating peeling powders is the number of copper powders in an SEM image, in which a copper oxide coating was peeled off, out of 100 copper powders counted in the SEM image, and the 100 copper powders counted each had an outline that was entirely observed based on the SEM image.

6 . A method for producing a copper powder for additive manufacturing, comprising the step of: baking a copper powder at a temperature of 100° C. or more and 500° C. or less for 0.1 hours or more and 72 hours or less to produce a powder having a mean particle size of 1 μm or more and 150 μm or less, containing copper oxide in an amount of 0.10 g/m 2 or more and 7.0 g/m 2 or less per unit surface area, containing copper oxide in an amount of 1.3 mass % or more and 9.4 mass % or less per unit mass, containing a content of cuprous oxide (Cu 2 O) of 1.3 mass % or more and 9.4 mass % or less, and containing a content of cupric oxide (CuO) of 1.7 mass % or less.

7 . A method for producing an additive manufactured product, comprising:

a building step of forming a building layer by irradiating energy at a predetermined position of a copper powder for additive manufacturing having a mean particle size of 1 μm or more and 150 μm or less, containing copper oxide in an amount of 0.10 g/m 2 or more and 7.0 g/m 2 or less per unit surface area, containing copper oxide in an amount of 1.3 mass % or more and 9.4 mass % or less per unit mass, containing a content of cuprous oxide (Cu 2 O) of 1.3 mass % or more and 9.4 mass % or less, and containing a content of cupric oxide (CuO) of 1.7 mass % or less, with energy to solidify the predetermined position; and

a layer addition step of adding the building layer in layers by repeating the building step.

8 . A method for producing an additive manufactured product, comprising:

a building step of forming a building layer by heat-melting and solidifying a copper powder for additive manufacturing having a mean particle size of 1 μm or more and 150 μm or less and containing copper oxide in an amount of 0.10 g/m 2 or more and 7.0 g/m 2 or less per unit surface area, containing copper oxide in an amount of 1.3 mass % or more and 9.4 mass % or less per unit mass, containing a content of cuprous oxide (Cu 2 O) of 1.3 mass % or more and 9.4 mass % or less, and containing a content of cupric oxide (CuO) of 1.7 mass % or less, while feeding the copper powder to a predetermined position; and

a layer addition step of adding the building layer in layers by repeating the building step.

9 . The method for producing an additive manufactured product according to claim 7 , further comprising: a powder producing step of producing the copper powder for additive manufacturing by baking a copper powder at a temperature of 100° C. or more and 500° C. or less for 0.1 hours or more and 72 hours or less.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 19, 2021
From: KATAYAMA, DAISUKE; NAKAZAWA, MASATO; IGAMI, KAORI
To: MEC COMPANY
Reel/Frame 056288/0091 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 19, 2021
From: SUGAHARA, TAKAHIRO; NAKAMOTO, TAKAYUKI; MIKI, TAKAO; UCHIDA, SOHEI
To: OSAKA RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Reel/Frame 056288/0283 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2018-227428 · Dec 4, 2018 · national
JP 2019-160474 · Sep 3, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210387255A1 · Dec 16, 2021
References Cited (12)
US 20130164553A1 · Lee et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20160332227A1 · Tsubota et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20200070244A1 · Sakuramoto · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20210178465A1 · Endo · 2021 [cited by examiner]
CA 3014690A1 · 2018 [cited by examiner]
JP 2006118032A · 2006 [cited by applicant]
JP 2013136840A · 2013 [cited by applicant]
JP 2016211062A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
JP 2017141505A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
JP 2018178239A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
WO 2019017467A1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion issued in corresponding International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2019/046833 (with English translation of International Search Report) dated Jan. 21, 2020 (10 pages). [cited by applicant]