C-Therm worked closely with researchers from Queen’s University (Kingston, Canada) to characterize the thermal conductivity of various aluminum powders for use in AM processes. The goal of the study was to determine if differences in the surface treatments of the same powder influenced effective thermal conductivity. In order to do so, the Modified Transient Plane Source (MTPS) technique was used, in accordance with ASTM D7984 modified for powders. Each powder was tested on the MTPS sensor 3 times, each test represents the average of 5 measurements. A consistent compaction of 75 grams was used on each test for repeatable results as shown in Figure 3. The reported room temperature fluctuated between 26.1 and 28.3 degrees Celsius during the tests. The thermal conductivity and %RSD (Relative Standard Deviation) is reported in Table 1 and Figure 4.
