Effect of Thermal Treatment on Nano- and Micro-Copper Particles for Jewelry Making

Abstract

Copper nanoparticles are being applied in the biosensors, engineering, electronic devices, and technology fields. A key advantage of nanomaterials is that their properties differ from their bulk with the same composition. However, the application of nano-copper particles for jewelry and artwork has not yet been revealed. We discovered and compared the application of nano-sized copper particles in jewelry fabrication with micro-copper particles. The nano- and micro-sized copper particles were synthesized and mixed with the same organic binders and water content to produce an alternative clay-like material for creating handmade jewelry and artwork. The article addresses the effects of thermal treatment on thermal behavior and the development of physical properties of differently sized copper particles. Their physical properties depend strongly on the size of the starting copper particles and heating conditions. We investigated the influence of thermal treatment, heating rate, firing temperature, and holding time to optimize the firing conditions for jewelry fabrication and wearing.

Keywords

• thermal treatment
• nano-copper particle
• copper clay
• metal clay
• jewelry