The Effect of Powder Characteristics on the Permeability of Copper Powder Wicks in Heat Pipe Applications

The thermal dissipation performance of sintered heat pipes is usually determined by the capillarity and permeability of the Cu powder wicks. Since the capillary provided by the Cu powder is usually large enough to draw water from the condenser end to the evaporator end, the permeability has become the controlling factor. In this study, Cu powders with different particle sizes and shapes were loosely sintered, and their permeabilities were compared. The results show that more complicated shapes, finer particle sizes, lower porosities, and rougher pore surfaces give lower permeability and thermal dissipation.