Effect of particle size on non-aqueous gel-casting process for copper powder

In this article, Cu-based materials were prepared by non-aqueous gel casting. The influence of different size particles on the rheological properties in gel system and the microstructure of green bodies and sintered bodies were studied. The results show that with the increase in particle size, the apparent viscosity in gel system decreased, the inhomogeneity of green body increased, and the flexural strength of green body and the relative density of sintered body reduced. The higher flexural strength (39.93 MPa) of green body was attained from the sample with 29-μm Cu powder, which can completely meet the needs of machining. Graphical Abstract