Enhanced wetting and properties of Carbon/Copper composites by Cu-Fe alloying
Haozi Zuo, Wenfu Wei, Xiaobo Li, Zefeng Yang, Qianhua Liao, Yong Jun Xian, Guangning Wu
Abstract
Using Fe reaction products to overcome the poor wettability between copper and carbon, C/Cu-Fe composites with excellent properties were prepared by gas pressure infiltration technique. The elemental Fe, being distributed between carbon and Cu, reacted with carbon to form Fe3C layer and effectively improved the wettability of the C/Cu system. The contact angle decreased from 124° to 21°. Compared to composites without Fe doping, the C/Cu-Fe composites exhibit significantly higher compressive and flexural strengths, as well as electrical resistivity reaching six times better than the industry standard requirement. Microstructure analysis indicates that the continuous tight Fe3C interlayer with moderate thickness at the C/Cu interface has a bridge effect on the interfacial bonding enhancement.