Thermal conductivity enhancement in carbon nanotube/Cu-Ti composites

Carbon nanotube reinforced Cu-Ti alloy (CNT/Cu-Ti) composites are fabricated by a powder metallurgical method. The interfacial bonding of CNT/Cu-Ti composites is evidently improved, which is attributed to the formation of a thin layer of TiC at the interface. The thermal conductivity of the composites increases by 7.5 % and 15.1 % compared to that of Cu-Ti matrix at CNT loadings of 5 vol.% and 10 vol.%, respectively. The matrix-alloying is therefore an effective way to enhance the thermal conductivity of CNT/Cu composites.