Microstructural analysis of aluminum–graphite composites for electronics applications

Abstract

Aluminum-graphite composites have emerged as promising materials for electronic applications due to their unique combination of mechanical properties, thermal conductivity, and lightweight nature. This study investigates the microstructural characteristics and corresponding mechanical and thermal properties of aluminum-graphite composites. The analysis encompasses compressive strength, impact strength, hardness, density, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), crystallite size, lattice strain, and the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). The results demonstrate how the addition of graphite influences the overall performance of the composite, with implications for its suitability in electronic devices. The introduction of graphite improves aluminum’s compressive strength and hardness while reducing its impact strength. Also, the CTE of aluminum was considerably reduced with the introduction of graphite particles. Recent advancements and relevant literature are also discussed.