Preparation and Mechanical Properties of Layered Cu/Gr Composite Film

Abstract

Graphene (Gr) has proved its significant role as a reinforcement material in improving the strength of metal matrix composites due to its excellent mechanical properties. In this paper, Gr/Cu composite film with a layered structure was prepared by layering electrodeposition. The directional distribution of Gr in the Cu film was insured by this method, which gives play to its ultra-high-strength in a two-dimensional plane. In the meantime, the effect of electrodeposition time on the distribution structure of the Gr layer was studied. The structure analysis and mechanical properties test show that the strength of the layered Gr/Cu composite film is greatly improved compared to the pure Cu film. Furthermore, the strength of the composite film increases at the beginning and then decreases with the electrodeposition time of the Gr layer increasing, while the coverage and the degree for the layer stacking of Gr gradually increase in this process. In conclusion, the influence of different Gr distributions on the mechanical properties of the composite film has been studied by combining the experimental results with molecular dynamics simulation, which lays an effective foundation for further optimizing the structure of Gr in the layered composite film and improving the mechanical properties.