Interfacial bonding enhancement and properties improvement of carbon/copper composites based on nickel doping

Abstract

ABSTRACT Carbon/copper composites are widely used in collector brushes, pantograph sliders, collector shoes and other fields due to their excellent mechanical friction, wear, thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity. However, the interfacial bonding force of composites is weak because of the natural non-wetting of copper and carbon graphite matrix, which restricts its comprehensive mechanical and electrical properties. In this paper, the nickel element was doped and introduced in the preparation process of the carbon graphite matrix, and the carbon/copper composites were further prepared by the pressure impregnation method. The results showed that the modified carbon matrix doped with nickel was denser, and the nickel element could evenly distribute in the carbon matrix. The porosity of the modified carbon/copper composites was significantly reduced and the interfacial bonding method was changed from the original simple mechanical interlock to solid solution bonding so that the interfacial state was obviously improved. The effect of nickel content on the mechanical and electrical properties of composites was systematically studied. It was found that when the nickel content was 3 wt%, the compressive strength and flexural strength were increased by nearly 52% and 58%, and the electrical conductivity was increased by nearly 35%.