Fabrication, Performance And Application Of Copper Coating On Carbon Nanotubes

To achieve the reinforcement of copper matrix composite by Single-walled carbon nanotubes(SWCNTs), obtaining composite materials of high comprehensive properties. Analysised and researched processes of copper mixing with SWCNTs dispersion, purified, electroless coating copper, nickel-copper bilayers coated on single-walled carbon nanotubes, powder metallurgy, sintering and forging process methods. By using SEM, TEM, XRD, FT-TR, thermal analysis, universal electronic drawing machine, Vickers hardness testing methods tensile test and hardness test techniques, electroless coating on SWCNTs and the composite were characterized, analysised and researched.To remove of the iron catalyst particles and carbonaceous impurities of Singlewalled carbon nanotubes(SWCNTs), two sets of operation procedures including successive reflux-treatment with HNO3-Na OH-HCl and heating in H2O2-HCl mixture with electromagnetic stirring were studied. It shows that both two processes can get the remarkably effective removal of impurities and has little damage to SWCNTs. However, the oxidation of the electroless copper coating on the surface of SWCNTs with the H2O2-HCl purification pretreatment is much more serious than that with the threestep-refluxing.In view of improving the wettability and interfacial bond strength of reinforced by carbon nanotubes and copper matrix, electroless coating were used to obtain copper coatings and nickel-copper bimetallic coating on single-walled carbon nanotubes. By tested and characterized coating morphology, composition distribution and coating microstructure, it was clearly confirmed that compared with the copper monolayers on single-walled carbon nanotubes, nickel-copper bimetallic coatings on the surface of single-walled carbon nanotubes is more complete, uniform and continuous. And they are of higher purity with unoxidized copper fine-grains. The mechanism contributed to the oxidation resistance of electroless coatings was analyzed.To achieve single-walled carbon nanotubes uniformly distributed in the copper matrix arrangement and orientation, explored the preparation process copper matrix composites with volume fraction of 0%, 3%, 5%, 7%, 10% of SWCNTs, namely “ultrasonic mixing �' powder metallurgy �' sintering �' forging”. The best plan of the mixing of single-walled carbon nanotube and matrix material, molding, sintering temperature, time and the amount of single-walled carbon nanotubes have been made. The results show that: copper matrix composites with 3% of single-walled carbon nanotubes can meet the density of 92%. Copper matrix composites under seven times forged has fine grain, the crystal and SWCNTs along the drawing direction directional array obviously. Copper matrix composites with 5% of single-walled carbon nanotubes under seven times forged has better mechanical properties than pure copper, which improved 162.7% or 132.3%SWCNTs reinforced copper matrix composites with better comprehensive mechanical properties was obtained, which provides a technology for the fabrication of CNTs reinforced copper matrix composite. It can be applied in carbon nanotubes reinforced metal matrix composite materials, nano electronic devices and biosensors etc and other field.