Novel bi-metallic joining process can create a composite from copper and steel for engineering applications which need high thermal & electrical conductivity

Source: The post is based on the article “Novel bi-metallic joining process can create a composite from copper and steel for engineering applications which need high thermal & electrical conductivity” published in PIB on 24th March 2023

What is the News?

A new bi-metallic joining process has been developed by Indian researchers to produce a bimetallic composite made from copper and steel that is highly suitable for engineering applications.

What is the importance of bi-metallic structures?

Bimetallic structures offer a unique combination of individual material properties, making them highly customizable for a range of applications.

One such bimetallic composite is made from copper and steel. However, welding copper and steel together can be challenging due to the differences in their melting points, thermal conductivity, and thermal expansion properties.

To address this challenge, researchers have developed a novel bi-metallic joining process using a technique called laser powder bed fusion(L-PBF) or selective laser melting (SLM) technique of metal 3D printing.

What is the Powder bed fusion(PBF) Technique?

Powder bed fusion (PBF) is a 3D printing method that joins powdered material point by point using an energy source, typically a laser beam or an electron beam.

It is one of the most common 3D printing techniques used for industrial additive manufacturing (AM).

This technique involves layer deposition by metal powder melting, which creates a small melt pool of stainless-steel powder with subsequent high cooling rates, limiting the intermixing of the stainless-steel melt on the copper surface.

This technique is possible with both metals and polymers, although not all materials are compatible.

What is Additive Manufacturing(AM)?

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