Carbide particle strengthened Cu/graphene composites in-situ fabricated by alloying

Abstract

Interface structure plays a crucial role in enhancing the electrical conductivity and mechanical properties of copper/graphene composites, thereby influencing their potential applications. In this study, we introduced carbide-forming elements (Cr, Nb, W) and expected to generate nano carbide particles at the interface to improve the interface bonding by in-situ preparation. Among these, the CuCr/graphene composite exhibits the best performance with electrical conductivity of 97 % IACS and hardness of 82 HV. The cold-drawn wire possesses a high tensile strength of 518 MPa. At the Cu/graphene interface, an optimal quantity of nanometer chromium carbide (Cr3C2) particles in situ formed, enhancing the interface bonding and resulting in the composite achieving both high conductivity and high strength.