COATED GRAPHITE FIBERS FOR HIGHLY CONDUCTIVE COMPOSITES

COPPER-GRAPHITE COMPOSITES OFFER A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF HIGH THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY AND HIGH-TEMPERATURE STRENGTH AND MODULUS. THEY ARE PARTICULARLY USEFUL FOR THERMAL MANAGEMENT IN SPACE POWER GENERATION. HOWEVER, BECAUSE MOLTEN COPPER DOES NOT WET GRAPHITE, HOT PRESSED COPPER/GRAPHITE COMPOSITES ARE NOT THERMALLY STABLE, DEVELOPING PORES AND SWELLING WHEN EXPOSED TO HIGH-TEMPERATURE ENVIRONMENTS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A RELIABLE AND REPRODUCIBLE COATING PROCESS FOR GRAPHITE FIBERS THAT WOULD ALLOW THE FIBERS TO BE WET BYMOLTEN COPPER. THIS NOT ONLY WILL IMPROVE THE THERMAL STABILITY OF THE COMPOSITE BUT ALSO MAKE IT EASIER TO PRODUCE COMPLEX FORMS AND STRUCTURES BY MEANS OF THE AIR-STABLE COATING. THE COATING IS COMPATIBLE WITH OTHER METALS, SUCH AS ALUMINUM, ALLOWING USE OF THE SAME COATING TO PRODUCE ALUMINUM-GRAPHITE COMPOSITES. COPPER-GRAPHITE COMPOSITES OFFER A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF HIGH THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY AND HIGH-TEMPERATURE STRENGTH AND MODULUS. THEY ARE PARTICULARLY USEFUL FOR THERMAL MANAGEMENT IN SPACE POWER GENERATION. HOWEVER, BECAUSE MOLTEN COPPER DOES NOT WET GRAPHITE, HOT PRESSED COPPER/GRAPHITE COMPOSITES ARE NOT THERMALLY STABLE, DEVELOPING PORES AND SWELLING WHEN EXPOSED TO HIGH-TEMPERATURE ENVIRONMENTS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A RELIABLE AND REPRODUCIBLE COATING PROCESS FOR GRAPHITE FIBERS THAT WOULD ALLOW THE FIBERS TO BE WET BYMOLTEN COPPER. THIS NOT ONLY WILL IMPROVE THE THERMAL STABILITY OF THE COMPOSITE BUT ALSO MAKE IT EASIER TO PRODUCE COMPLEX FORMS AND STRUCTURES BY MEANS OF THE AIR-STABLE COATING. THE COATING IS COMPATIBLE WITH OTHER METALS, SUCH AS ALUMINUM, ALLOWING USE OF THE SAME COATING TO PRODUCE ALUMINUM-GRAPHITE COMPOSITES.