Abstract
In this study, the relationship between microstructure and thermal conductivity of metal-graphene material systems, such as pure copper-graphene, AlSi10Mg-graphene and Ti6Al4V-graphene, is examined. In these material systems, the distribution of graphene within the metal matrix influences the thermal conductivity to a large extend, introducing considerable thermal anisotropy [1]. Furthermore, the interface thermal conductance (ITC) between the metal and graphene forms a critical factor that may impact the total heat transport across. To date, thorough studies on the relationship between these factors have not yet been conducted. Hence, in this paper, we investigate the influence of the material microstructure on the thermal conductivity of metal-graphene composites comprised of metals with thermal conductivities ranging from 6.7 W/mK for Ti6Al4V to 366 W/mK for pure copper.
The addition of graphene to metals has been proposed as an efficient way to improve the thermal conductivity, as graphene exhibits a high in-plane thermal conductivity of 3,000 – 5,000 W/mK [2]. However, the low through-plane thermal conductivity of 5 – 10 W/mK of graphene, combined with its incompatibility issues with metals, makes it difficult to develop composites with superior thermal conductivity. For instance, the ITC of pure copper-graphene has been reported to be 23 MW/m2K, whereas that in polymer-graphene material systems has been demonstrated as 50-165 MW/m2K [3]. Accordingly, only rather limited thermal conductivity improvements in some metal-graphene systems have been reported [4].
In this work, we measured the thermal conductivities of pure copper-graphene, AlSi10Mg-graphene, Ti6Al4V-graphene as a function of the graphene wt.%. These findings were confronted with the microstructures characterized using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, the wt.% dependency of the thermal conductivity is compared with theoretical thermal models, such as effective medium approximation. The thermal model was also adopted to describe the effect of ITC on the overall thermal conductivity. Some composites form interfacial bonding layers, such as Al4C3 and TiC which alter the conductivity. The corresponding influence of microstructural features on the resulting thermal conductivity will be discussed in the final presentation.
The addition of graphene to metals has been proposed as an efficient way to improve the thermal conductivity, as graphene exhibits a high in-plane thermal conductivity of 3,000 – 5,000 W/mK [2]. However, the low through-plane thermal conductivity of 5 – 10 W/mK of graphene, combined with its incompatibility issues with metals, makes it difficult to develop composites with superior thermal conductivity. For instance, the ITC of pure copper-graphene has been reported to be 23 MW/m2K, whereas that in polymer-graphene material systems has been demonstrated as 50-165 MW/m2K [3]. Accordingly, only rather limited thermal conductivity improvements in some metal-graphene systems have been reported [4].
In this work, we measured the thermal conductivities of pure copper-graphene, AlSi10Mg-graphene, Ti6Al4V-graphene as a function of the graphene wt.%. These findings were confronted with the microstructures characterized using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, the wt.% dependency of the thermal conductivity is compared with theoretical thermal models, such as effective medium approximation. The thermal model was also adopted to describe the effect of ITC on the overall thermal conductivity. Some composites form interfacial bonding layers, such as Al4C3 and TiC which alter the conductivity. The corresponding influence of microstructural features on the resulting thermal conductivity will be discussed in the final presentation.
| Original language | English |
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| Publication status | Published - 17 Sept 2025 |
| Event | 18th European Congress and Exhibition on Advanced Materials and Processes, FEMS 2025 EUROMAT - Congress Palace of Granada, Granada, Spain Duration: 14 Sept 2025 → 18 Sept 2025 Conference number: 18 https://euromat2025.com |
Conference
| Conference | 18th European Congress and Exhibition on Advanced Materials and Processes, FEMS 2025 EUROMAT |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | FEMS 2025 EUROMAT |
| Country/Territory | Spain |
| City | Granada |
| Period | 14/09/25 → 18/09/25 |
| Internet address |