ULTRAFINE COPPER POWDER
ULTRAFINE COPPER POWDER
Ultrafine copper powder has a wide range of applications in various industrial and technological fields. Here are some of the most important applications:
1. Electronics and PCB manufacturing
- Conductive inks and pastes: Due to its high electrical conductivity, ultrafine copper powder is often used in conductive inks, pastes and paints. These materials are used for printed circuits and flexible electronics.
- Printed circuit board manufacturing: Copper powder enables the printing of very fine conductive traces on printed circuit boards (PCBs) and is often used as a cost-effective alternative to silver.
2. Metallurgy and powder metallurgy
- Sintering processes: In powder metallurgy, ultra-fine copper powder is used to manufacture components by sintering. In this process, the particles are bonded together by heat without being completely melted, resulting in the production of complex, high-precision shapes.
- Alloy production: Copper powder is often used as an alloy additive to improve properties such as corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity.
3. Batteries and energy storage
- Electrode materials: In battery technology, especially in lithium-ion batteries, copper powder is used in anodes. Its high conductivity and surface area improve the energy and charging efficiency of batteries.
- Supercapacitors: Copper powder can also be used in supercapacitors, where it helps to increase storage capacity.
4. Catalysts and chemical reactions
- Catalytic properties: Due to the large surface area of ultrafine particles, copper is an excellent catalyst for certain chemical reactions, such as the production of methanol or the reduction of nitrogen oxides in exhaust gas aftertreatment.
5. Additive manufacturing (3D printing)
- Metal 3D printing: Ultrafine copper powder is very suitable for metal 3D printing, especially for the selective laser melting (SLM) process. It enables the production of complex, conductive structures and components with high precision.
6. Antimicrobial applications
- Medical devices and textiles: Copper is known for its antimicrobial properties. Copper-coated textiles, surfaces and devices are widely used in medical facilities and for the manufacture of antibacterial products.
7. Cosmetics and pigments
- Metallic effects: In the cosmetics industry, copper powder is used for shimmering and metallic effects in make-up and nail polishes. It gives products a shiny, long-lasting color.
8. Thermally conductive materials
- Cooling in electronics: Thanks to its high thermal conductivity, copper powder is used in thermally conductive adhesives, pastes and plastics, which are important in cooling electronic components or in thermal management applications.
In summary, ultra-fine copper powder is used in a variety of high-tech industries due to its good electrical conductivity, thermal properties and chemical reactivity.
Ultrafine copper powder is expensive because its production and properties have special requirements that drive up the price.
Here are the main factors that influence the price of ultrafine copper powder:
1. Manufacturing process
Ultrafine copper powder is often produced using complex processes such as atomization, chemical reduction or electrolytic processes. These processes are technically complex as they require precisely controlled conditions to achieve a uniform particle size and shape. In addition, an extremely fine grain size is often required, frequently in the nanometer range (less than 100 nanometers). The production of such particles is far more difficult and expensive than conventional powders in the micrometer range.
2. Quality control and purity
High purity raw materials are required to produce ultrafine copper powder. Impurities can significantly affect the physical and chemical properties, which is particularly critical in electronics and medical technology. Controlling particle size, purity and surface finish requires rigorous quality control and specialized measurement techniques such as electron microscopy and particle size analysis, which are costly.
3. Properties and applications
Ultrafine copper powder has special properties, such as high electrical and thermal conductivity, and is used in high-tech fields such as electronics, printed circuits, conductive inks, metallurgy and certain catalysts. These markets are willing to pay higher prices for materials that fulfill a critical function in small quantities, such as in the production of microchips or in the additive manufacturing (3D printing) of metallic structures.
4. Complex storage and safety precautions
Fine copper powder is very reactive and tends to spontaneously combust (pyrophoricity) at certain particle sizes, which requires special packaging and storage conditions to ensure safety. These protective measures also cost money. With very small particles, oxidation must also be controlled, which often requires an inert gas atmosphere or special coatings.
5. Market and availability
The market for ultrafine copper powder is specialized, which often leads to limited supply and correspondingly high prices. As demand is growing in the nanotechnology and microelectronics sectors, the product is in high demand in these areas, which is driving prices up further.
In summary, the high technical requirements in production, the special properties of the powder, the safety requirements and the limited availability and high demand mean that ultrafine copper powder is very expensive.