A Finite Difference Analysis of the Effect of Graphene Additions on the Electrical Conductivity of Polycrystalline Copper

A finite difference method was used to explore the effect of graphene on the bulk electrical conductivity of copper-graphene composites. In this capacity, grain orientation information from pure copper and copper-graphene composites was used to generate synthetic 3D microstructures. The electrical conductivity of these microstructures was calculated using the finite difference method assuming different average grain sizes. From these calculations, we demonstrate that when high-conductivity grain boundaries are present within the microstructure arising from the presence of graphene, an increase in the bulk electrical conductivity is observed. On the other hand, the difference in textures between copper and copper-graphene composites may not account for a significant difference in bulk electrical conductivity. In comparison, the copper grain size has a considerably larger effect on electrical conductivity as previously anticipated. This is one of the first demonstrations of a physical basis for enhanced conductivity composites and presents pathways for further investigations on the effects of composite microstructural features, material interfaces, and graphene content on electrical performance.

Automated summary

A finite difference method was used to explore the impact of graphene on the bulk electrical conductivity of copper-graphene composites. It was found that high-conductivity grain boundaries arising from graphene can increase the bulk electrical conductivity, while the difference in textures between copper and copper-graphene composites may not have a significant effect on conductivity.