Manufacturing Processes and Properties of Copper–Graphite Composites Produced by High Frequency Induction Heating Sintering

ABSTRACT: In the present article, a study was made of copper/graphite powders and sintered compacts for industrial applications. The sintering behavior and mechanical properties of copper/graphite composite produced by high frequency induction heated sintering (HFIHS) as a novel sintering technique were studied. HFIHS allows very quick densification to near theoretical density of the composite. The copper was modified by addition of 2.5–15wt. % graphite. A high dense product (97%) could be obtained within 3min under simultaneous application of 60MPa pressure. The wear testing was carried out using a pin-on-ring tribometer. The wear resistance increases with increasing the addition of graphite. The weight loss increases with both sliding distance and applied load. Metallographic investigation was carried out using both optical and scanning electron microscopy. For comparison, parallel compacts of pure copper were made under the same consolidation processing applied for copper–graphite composites. KEY WORDS: copper/graphite, HFIHS, sintering, mechanical properties, wear