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In Situ Synthesis of 3D Interconnected Graphene-Reinforced Copper Composites

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Abstract

Graphene shows great potential in composite applications, but the performance of traditional graphene-metal composites is poorer than desired due to the uneven dispersion of graphene in the matrix. This study provides an effective method to grow high-quality graphene on the surface of 3D porous copper using a combination of chemical vapor deposition and spark plasma sintering to obtain a dense 3D-interconnected graphene/Cu composite. Transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed that graphene-coated copper and Raman analysis showed high-quality graphene. The tensile strength of the 3D graphene/Cu composite was 425 MPa, which is ~ 25% higher than that of pure Cu, and the coefficient of friction (0.33) is about 45% lower than that of pure Cu (0.58). The formation of high-quality 3D graphene interconnects in the Cu matrix results in a higher mechanical strength, better friction properties and superior electrical and thermal conductivity of the composite compared to those of pure Cu.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51201107) and the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission Basic Research Project (10JC1411800).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200093, China

    Jinzhang Li, Xiaohong Chen, Wei Li, Ke Zhang, Fengcang Ma, Shaoli Fu & Liangyan Zhao

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  1. Jinzhang Li
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  2. Xiaohong Chen
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Li, J., Chen, X., Li, W. et al. In Situ Synthesis of 3D Interconnected Graphene-Reinforced Copper Composites. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 28, 4265–4274 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-019-04196-8

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