Effect of Surface Modification of Carbon Nanotubes on the Properties of High-Strength and High-Conductivity Copper Matrix Composites

Abstract

The use of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the reinforcing phase to prepare copper-based composite materials can improve the strength and high conductivity of copper-based conductors. In order to analyze the effect of surface oxidation modification on the structural properties of carbon nanotubes and its strengthening effect on composite materials, this article combines heterogeneous copolymerization liquid phase mixing method and spark plasma sintering molding method; prepares the carbon nanotubes/copper composite materials using carbon nanotubes under different oxidation treatment conditions as the reinforcing phase (the volume fraction of carbon nanotubes is 3%); and characterizes the microstructure, mechanical properties, and electrical and thermal conductivity of the composite material. Studies have shown that the tensile strength and hardness of composite materials first increase with the increase of CNT oxidation treatment time and then decrease with the increase of oxidation treatment time. When the oxidation treatment time is 4 h, CNTs are uniformly dispersed in the matrix while maintaining good structural integrity and load-bearing capacity, and the composite material has the highest mechanical properties. The tensile strength of the composite material made of 80‐ nm CNTs reaches 452.4 MPa, which is 1.6 times that of pure copper, and the hardness reaches 127.4HV, which is twice that of pure copper. The electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity of the composite material first increase with the increase of the oxidation treatment time of carbon nanotubes and then decrease with the increase of the oxidation treatment time. The 80 nm CNT reinforced composite material has better CNT dispersion performance and higher conductivity than that of 15 nm CNT preparation. The electrical conductivity of the composite material reaches the maximum value of 92% IACS when the CNT oxidation treatment time is 4 hours, which is 95% of the pure copper sample, and the electrical conductivity is significantly better than that of the CNT/Cu composite material and copper alloy prepared by other methods. The thermal conductivity of composite materials is lower than that of pure copper. The thermal conductivity of carbon nanotubes with an oxidation treatment time of 2 h decreases most obviously, indicating that the thermal resistance generated by the interface and agglomeration phases in the composite material affects its thermal conductivity.