Electrical and mechanical properties of reduced graphene oxide/CuCrZr composites

The present work investigates electrical and mechanical properties of reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/CuCrZr composites. Briefly, CuCrZr alloys were prepared by high-energy ball milling, and the milling parameters and the alloy composition were optimised. Following this, different amounts of rGO were introduced to hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide-modified CuCr0.5Zr0.05 through solution mixing, and the rGO/CuCrZr pellets were then prepared by cold isostatic pressing and sintering. Furthermore, the composite samples were compacted two more times under 350 MPa and then 700 MPa. The electrical conductivity and hardness were studied on sintered, 350 MPa-compacted and 700 MPa-compacted samples. Apparent porosity was also determined, and the importance of compaction pressure and porosity was highlighted. Overall, the optimum combination of electrical conductivity and hardness was realised in the rGO/CuCr0.5Zr0.05 composite with 0.3% rGO.