Cu-CP (Commercially Pure Copper)

metal

copper alloy — commercially pure

Pure CopperCP CopperCu 99.9Oxygen-Free Copper AMC10100 AM

Cu-CP (Commercially Pure Copper) 3D printed component

Density

8.92 g/cm³

YS (LPBF as-built (XY) — green laser)

175–230 MPa

UTS (LPBF as-built (XY) — green laser)

200–250 MPa

Elongation (LPBF as-built (XY) — green laser)

25.0–40.0 %

Elastic modulus

110 GPa

Thermal conductivity

360.0–400.0 W/m·K

Composition — ASTM B170 / EN 13599 — Cu-ETP or Cu-OFE equivalent (>99.9 wt% Cu)

Element	Min %	Max %	Notes
Cu	99.90	—	balance — >99.9 wt% minimum; purity drives electrical and thermal conductivity
O	—	0.040	Oxygen impurity forms Cu₂O inclusions, reducing conductivity and promoting porosity; strict atmosphere control mandatory
Fe	—	0.050	Iron impurity reduces electrical conductivity
Pb	—	0.005	Lead trace — minimal permitted

Mechanical & thermal properties — 2 conditions

Property

Unlock the full property data — sign up to additive.tools

Membership · no credit card · no marketing emails. Unlock the full library: 28 articles, 46 materials, 10 processes, 75 papers and more.

Create your account I already have an account

Engineering considerations

Laser selection: Green laser (515–532 nm) is strongly preferred. Copper absorptivity at 532 nm is ~40% vs ~5% at 1064 nm. If only IR is available, use ≥500 W with carefully optimised scan speed and hatch — expect higher porosity and require CT verification before pressure testing.
Electrical conductivity vs porosity: Even small amounts of porosity (<1%) can degrade electrical conductivity disproportionately. Verify relative density >99% by Archimedes method or CT before deploying in electrical applications.
No strength upgrade pathway: Cu-CP cannot be precipitation-hardened. If the application requires both high conductivity AND strength >300 MPa, specify CuCrZr (aged: ~400–500 MPa, ~320 W/m·K) or GRCop-84 (~310–380 MPa, ~323 W/m·K) instead.
Atmosphere control: Use high-purity argon (<10 ppm O₂, <10 ppm H₂O). Copper oxidises readily at LPBF processing temperatures; Cu₂O inclusions are detrimental to both thermal and electrical conductivity.
Thermal distortion: High thermal conductivity means rapid heat dissipation, but also that residual stresses from steep thermal gradients can be significant. Use a preheat plate (≥100°C) and consider a low-stress scan strategy (island/chessboard).
Pressure testing: For cooling channels, proof-pressure test at 1.5× operating pressure using inert gas (He or N₂) with leak detection. Helium leak test is preferred for refrigerant circuits.
Design wall thickness: Minimum recommended wall for conformal cooling channels: 0.4 mm (confirmed at >99% density with green laser). Thinner walls possible with parameter optimisation but require individual verification.

Advantages

Highest thermal conductivity of any AM metal (~380–400 W/m·K at room temperature)
Electrical conductivity ~95–100% IACS as-built with green laser — approaches wrought OFHC copper
Excellent ductility (>25% elongation) — damage-tolerant in thermal cycling applications
LPBF enables complex internal cooling channel geometries (conformal cooling, manifold lattices) impossible to fabricate conventionally
No precipitation hardening needed — as-built is the final functional condition
Well-understood corrosion behaviour — excellent in deionised water, moderate in seawater

Limitations

Very low strength (YS ~175–200 MPa) — not a structural material; always design with a stiffer structural shell if loads are present
Requires green laser (515 nm) LPBF for consistent high density; green-laser systems cost ~2–3× more than standard IR systems
High-power IR (>500 W) can process Cu-CP but shows higher spatter, porosity, and parameter sensitivity vs green laser
Strict atmosphere control required (<50 ppm O₂); oxygen contamination forms Cu₂O inclusions that degrade both conductivity and mechanical properties
Poor wear resistance — not suitable for sliding contact or tribological applications (use CuSn10 or CuCrZr instead)
No heat treatment pathway to increase strength — if higher strength is needed, switch to CuCrZr or GRCop-84
Powder cost higher than 316L; Cu powder requires careful handling (moisture absorption, oxidation risk during storage)
Machining Cu is 'gummy' — use sharp tooling, flood coolant, avoid work hardening

Typical applications

EV battery cooling plates with complex internal channels (LPBF enables geometries impossible in stamped/brazed construction)Rocket engine regenerative cooling chambers (where ultra-high thermal conductivity outweighs low strength)RF waveguides and antenna structures requiring high electrical conductivityHeat sinks and cold plates for high-power electronics and power modulesInduction heating coils with complex geometriesBusbars and electrical connectors for high-current applicationsMicrowave and RF filter housings

Elastic modulus	110 GPa	108 GPa
Yield strength (0.2%)	175–230 MPa	150–200 MPa
Ultimate tensile strength	200–250 MPa	175–220 MPa
Elongation at break	25.0–40.0 %	18.0–32.0 %
Hardness (HV)	65–85 HV	—
Density	8.92 g/cm³	8.90 g/cm³
Thermal conductivity	360.0–400.0 W/m·K	350.0–390.0 W/m·K

Cu-CP (Commercially Pure Copper)

Composition — ASTM B170 / EN 13599 — Cu-ETP or Cu-OFE equivalent (>99.9 wt% Cu)

Mechanical & thermal properties — 2 conditions

Engineering considerations

Advantages

Limitations

Typical applications

Industries

Compatible AM processes (3)

Other metal materials

Related calculators

Related guides