A Study of Silver Decoration on Carbon Nanotubes via Ultrasonic Chemical Synthesis and Their Reinforced Copper Matrix Composites

Abstract

The homogeneous distribution of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the Cu matrix and good interfacial bonding are the key factors to obtain excellent properties of carbon nanotube-reinforced Cu-based composites (CNT/Cu). In this work, silver-modified carbon nanotubes (Ag-CNTs) were prepared by a simple, efficient and reducer-free method (ultrasonic chemical synthesis), and Ag-CNTs-reinforced copper matrix composites (Ag-CNTs/Cu) were fabricated by powder metallurgy. The dispersion and interfacial bonding of CNTs were effectively improved by Ag modification. Compared to CNTs/Cu counterparts, the properties of Ag-CNTs/Cu samples were significantly improved, with the electrical conductivity of 94.9% IACS (International Annealed Copper Standard), thermal conductivity of 416 W/m·k and tensile strength (315 MPa). The strengthening mechanisms are also discussed.

Prediction of Temperature-Dependent Mechanical Properties for SWCNT/Cu Nanocomposite Metamaterials: A Molecular Dynamics Study

“…Moreover, low TECs of CNT/Cu nanocomposites are favorable for reducing the strains caused by the TEC mismatch between electronic devices [ 10 , 11 ]. It is worth mentioning that the high performance of CNT/Cu nanocomposites is attributed to homogeneous distribution, improved interfacial reaction, and enhanced structural integrity of CNTs in copper matrix [ 12 , 13 ]. Therefore, many fabrication technologies have been developed to address these issues, such as molecular-level mixing [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ], high-energy ball milling [ 18 , 19 ], electrochemical co-deposition [ 20 ], and spark plasma sintering [ 21 ].…”