Effect of powder characteristics on the microstructure and performance of CuSn10 parts by material extrusion 3D printing

Two water-atomised, one gas-atomised and treated CuSn10 powders were employed as initial materials to prepare bronze products by material extrusion (MEX) printing technology. The results highlight a significant impact of powder morphology and particle size on both the microstructure and mechanical performance of CuSn10 products. Among the single-size powders, the 3D printed parts, utilising −1000 mesh gas-atomised CuSn10 powders as raw materials, achieved a remarkable hardness of 76.5 HB. For dual-granularity CuSn10 powders, the printed parts from 80%/400500 mesh and 20%/−1000 mesh powders have the optimal performance, reaching a relative density of 98.88% and tensile strength of 355.46 MPa. Successful printing and sintering of various gear parts underscore MEX printing as a viable method for producing high-performance bronze components.