From silver‑plated copper to copper powder: Betely portfolio of conductive materials

2026-03-05 14:02

Issue 3: Copper Powder—More Than Just “Grinding Copper into Powder”

After discussing silver‑copper powder in the first two episodes, a listener asked: “Since you’re making silver‑copper powder and the powder is synthesized in‑house, do you also produce the copper powder yourself?”

Yes, and I’ve been doing it for many years.

Copper powder—easy to talk about, but far from simple to produce. The market offers several types: electrolytic, atomized, reduced, and chemically synthesized. At first glance, they all look like copper powder, but their performance in ink formulations can differ dramatically.

I. The “background” of copper powder determines its “character.”

How is copper powder produced? Depending on the preparation process, the powder’s morphology, particle size, and surface characteristics vary—these differences ultimately manifest in the slurry’s performance.

Craftsmanship	Typical morphology	Core Advantages	Core drawbacks	Mainstream applications
Electrolysis	Branch-like	High purity and excellent electrical conductivity	High energy consumption	Powder metallurgy, conductive materials
Gas atomization	High spherical	Good liquidity	High cost	3D printing, MIM, conductive materials
Water atomization	Spheroidal	High yield, low cost	Sphericity is average.	General metallurgy, welding electrodes
Reduction method	Spongy	Low cost, excellent sintering	Poor liquidity	Catalysts, metallurgical components
Chemical method	Ultrafine/Nano	Small particle size, customizable	Costs are controllable.	Conductive pastes, flexible electronics
Mechanical method	Flaky/Irregular	Simple process	Many impurities	Low-end coatings, fillers

When producing conductive pastes, the powder is the first critical step. The particle size should be small, the morphology uniform, and the surface active. —Of these three, the chemical method is the most suitable.

II. Betely Cu‑H Series: Synthesized via chemical methods, specifically designed for conductive pastes.

We have been developing conductive materials for twenty years, progressing from silver powder to silver‑coated copper and then to copper powder—always following the same path: synthesizing the powders in‑house to control quality at the source.

Cu-H series copper powders are synthesized via a chemical method and possess several distinctive features:

● Uniform particle size: Adjustable from sub-micron to micron scale, with a narrow particle size distribution and an easy-to-formulate slurry.

● High sphericity: Good fluidity and enhanced printability.

● Surface Treatment: Perform antioxidant modification prior to shipment to provide a process window for downstream applications.

● High purity: Impurity control is stringent and does not affect electrical conductivity.

III. Product Portfolio: Four Models Covering Mainstream Needs

Model number	D50 (μm)	Tap Density (g/cm³)	Specific surface area (m²/g)
Cu-H-07	0.6-0.9	≥3.0	1.1-1.6
Cu-H-20	1.8-2.4	≥3.5	0.5-0.7
Cu-H-30	2.7-3.6	≥4.0	0.28-0.42
Cu-H-40	3.6-4.5	≥4.0	0.16-0.36

(TEM images of Betely Cu-H series copper powders, from left to right: Cu-H-07, Cu-H-20, Cu-H-30, Cu-H-40)

As shown in the figure, the particle uniformity is immediately apparent. This is no accident; it is the result of chemical synthesis combined with rigorous size fractionation.

IV. Application Directions

Where can copper powder be used? At present, we see several clear applications:

● Photovoltaic conductive paste: Compatible with silver‑plated copper or pure copper systems.

● PCB via metallization: Alternative scenarios for silver paste

● Conductive ink: Flexible Printed Electronics

● Conductive adhesive: Electronic packaging

Each application has slightly different requirements for the powder, which is why we offer four models—not to pad the lineup, but to give our customers a range of options.

Next episode preview: The microscopic world of copper powder determines its macroscopic applications.

In this episode, we explored the origins of copper powder and its product family. In the next installment, we’ll zoom in to reveal what the Betely Cu‑H series looks like under an electron microscope—

How narrow is the particle size distribution?

How round is the sphericity, exactly?

How can surface treatment be performed to both prevent oxidation and maintain electrical conductivity?

Stay tuned for Part Two: “The Microscopic World of Copper Powder Determines Its Macroscopic Applications.”

The microscopic world of copper powder determines its macroscopic applications.

Silver-plated copper—how do we address the three concerns that customers worry about most?

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