With the development of the aerospace and automotive industries, high heat exchange efficiency is a challenge facing the development of various industries. Pure copper has excellent mechanical and physical properties, especially high thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity. These excellent properties make pure copper the material of choice for the manufacture of heat exchangers and other electrical components. However, the traditional processing method is difficult to achieve the production of pure copper complex parts, so the production of pure copper parts through additive manufacturing has become a problem that must be overcome in industrial development. In this article, we not only reviewed the current status of research on the structural design and preparation of complex pure copper parts by researchers using selective laser melting (SLM), selective electron beam melting (SEBM) and binder jetting (BJ) in recent years, but also reviewed the forming, physical properties and mechanical aspects of pure copper parts prepared by different additive manufacturing methods. Finally, the development trend of additive manufacturing of pure copper parts is also prospected.

Electric vehicle battery systems are made up of a variety of different materials, each battery system contains hundreds of batteries. There are many parts that need to be connected in the battery system, and welding is often the most effective and reliable connection method. Laser welding has the advantages of non-contact, high energy density, accurate heat input control, and easy automation, which is considered to be the ideal choice for electric vehicle battery manufacturing. However, the metal materials used for the electrodes of the battery and the connectors used to connect the battery are not the same, so the different materials need to be welded together effectively. Welding different materials together is associated with various difficulties and challenges, as more intermetallic compounds are formed, some of which can affect the microstructure, electrical and thermal properties of the joint. Because the common material of the battery housing is steel and aluminum and other refractory metals, it will also face various problems. In this paper reviews, the challenges and the latest progress of laser welding between different materials of battery busbar and battery pole and between the same materials of battery housing are reviewed. The microstructure, metallographic defects and mechanical properties of the joint are discussed.

In this work, the effects of electroplated Cu (EP Cu) and Cu addition (0.7%) in Sn solder on the intermetallic compounds (IMCs) growth and void formation were clarified by comparison with solder joints comprising of high purity Cu (HP Cu) substrate and pure Sn solder. After aging processes, a new IMC, Cu₃Sn, was formed at the interface, in addition to Cu₆Sn₅ formed in the as-soldered joints. The EP Cu and Cu addition (0.7%) both had limited effects on the total IMCs thickness. However, the effects varied on the growth behaviors of different IMCs. Comparing to the void-free interface between Sn and HP Cu, a large number of voids were observed at the Cu₃Sn/Cu interface in Sn/EP Cu joints. The formation of these voids may be induced by the impurities and fine grain, which were introduced during the electroplating process. The addition of Cu suppressed the inter-diffusion of Cu and Sn at the interface. Consequently, the growth of the Cu₃Sn layer and formation of voids were suppressed.

This paper investigates the change in solidification microcrack susceptibility under the influence of thermal-shock-induced effects for pulsed laser spot welding molten pools with different waveforms, powers, frequencies, and pulse widths. During the welding process, the temperature of the molten pool under the effect of thermal shock changes sharply, triggering pressure waves, creating cavities in the molten pool paste area, and forming crack sources during solidification. The microstructure near the cracks was analyzed using a SEM (scanning electron microscope) and EDS (electronic differential system), and it was found that bias precipitation occurred during the rapid solidification of the melt pool, and a large amount of Nb elements were enriched in the interdendritic and grain boundaries, which eventually formed a liquid film with a low melting point, known as a Laves phase. When cavities appear in the liquid film, the chance of crack source formation is further increased. Using a slow rise and slow fall waveform is good for reducing cracks; reducing the peak laser power to 1000 w is good for reducing cracks in the solder joint; increasing the pulse width to 20 ms reduces the degree of crack damage; reducing the pulse frequency to 10 hz reduces the degree of crack damage.