Fabrication of High Thermal Conductive Aluminum/Graphitic Fiber Composites by Pulsed Electric Current Sintering

Abstract

Al-VGCF binary and Al-CF-VGCF ternary composites were fabricated by pulsed electric current sintering. The content of VGCF in the Al-VGCF composites were 0, 15 and 30mass%. The Al-VGCF composites achieved a controlled coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) ranging 13 to 20×10−6 /K and a thermal conductivity of 100 to 120 W/(m·K). The Al-CF-VGCF composites had a structure of unidirectional aligned CF filled with the Al-VGCF matrix. They attained a high thermal conductivity up to 600 W/(m·K) and a controlled CTE around 18×10−6 /K in the perpendicular direction to the CF.