Effects of Sintering Temperature on the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Injection-Molded Copper/Graphene Composite

The low thermal resistance of graphene nanoplatelets (GNps), which results in high thermal conductivity, is a promising behavior for thermal management applications, such as heat sinks, in electronic devices. In this study, a Cu/GNps composite was produced by powder injection molding (PIM). A suitable sintering temperature in PIM process is essential to be obtained with the intention of achieving the optimum physical and mechanical properties of the Cu/GNps composite. Therefore, the effects of the sintering temperature on the mechanical and physical properties of Cu/GNps were investigated. The Cu/GNps composite was prepared with a binder system, and later, such a system was removed during the debinding prior to sintering. The effects of sintering temperatures of 950 °C, 1000 °C and 1050 °C on the physical and mechanical properties of Cu/GNps were examined. It was found that the highest density and tensile strength were obtained when the Cu/GNPs was sintered at 950 °C.