Thermal conductivity of Cu-Ti/diamond composites via spark plasma sintering

Copper matrix composites reinforced with 50 vol% diamond particles were prepared by spark plasma sintering. The diamond particles, Cu-Ti alloy powder and Cu power were mixed in different mass ratios and sintered at a temperature of 925 degrees C for 10 min in vacuum. Effects of Ti content on microstructure and thermal conductivity of the Cu-xTi/diamond composites were studied in the range of 0-1 wt%. With Ti content increasing, the thermal conductivity of the Cu-Ti/diamond composites increases Fast and then decreases. The highest thermal conductivity of 529 W/(m.K) was obtained in the Cu-0.2Ti/diamond composite owing to the improved interfacial bonding and lower interfacial thermal resistance. The diffuse mismatch model and Hasselman-Johnson model were used to calculate the theoretical thermal conductivity of the Cu-Ti/diamond composites. It is shown that moderate content of Ti addition is good for improving the thermal conductivity of Cu/diamond composites, which is consistent with experimental results.