Mixing Effects on Electrical and Tensile properties of Homogeneous CNT/Cu Composites

Abstract

Composites of long carbon nanotube (CNT) yarns, which are lightweight and have high mechanical properties, and copper, which has high electrical conductivity, are expected to exhibit high material properties. However, research and development have not progressed much. In this study, we developed a copper plating method for CNT yarns loaded with copper nanoparticles. The preloaded nanoparticles act as precipitation points for electrolytic copper plating seeds to realize homogeneous CNT/Cu composite wires. The structural evaluation revealed that the composite is a mixture of CNT bundles and Cu. The temperature coefficient of resistance of the composite is relatively small, so the specific conductivity is superior to copper in the several hundred-degree ranges. In tensile properties, we found that the CNT bundles are reinforced by the copper matrix.