Production and use of composite graphene-copper powders

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025122595-A1
Application number	US-202318486468-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 13, 2023
Priority date	Oct 13, 2023
Publication date	Apr 17, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices for forming and implementing a graphene-copper composite powder are disclosed. The graphene-copper composite powder may be formed by providing an inert environment, introducing a first mist to the inert environment, introducing a second mist to the inert environment, and mixing the first mist and the second mist within the inert environment to thereby produce a graphene-copper composite powder. The first mist being atomized copper with a negative charge, and the second mist including graphene flakes with a positive charge. The graphene-copper composite powder may be used to form components via additive manufacturing or traditional powder metallurgy processes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
providing an inert environment; introducing a first mist to the inert environment, the first mist being atomized copper with a negative charge; introducing a second mist to the inert environment, the second mist including graphene flakes with a positive charge; and mixing the first mist and the second mist within the inert environment to thereby produce a graphene-copper composite powder.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising separating, using at least one mesh screen, the graphene-copper composite powder into a plurality of fractions within the inert environment.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising feeding a first fraction of the plurality of fractions into an additive manufacturing device connected to the inert environment.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first mist is formed from copper melt fed into the inert environment through a high-pressure nozzle.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a process pressure of the inert environment includes a vacuum.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein copper particles of the graphene-copper composite powder consist of copper nanoparticles.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the graphene flakes are formed via electrochemical exfoliation.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming, via additive manufacturing or traditional powder metallurgy process, a graphene-copper composite busbar from the composite powder.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming, via additive manufacturing or traditional powder metallurgy process, a graphene-copper composite heat sink from the composite powder.

10 . A system comprising:
a chamber containing an inert environment and a mixing portion, the mixing portion being within the inert environment; a first nozzle and a second nozzle, wherein the first nozzle is configured to introduce a first mist into the mixing portion of the inert environment, the first mist being atomized copper, the first mist having a negative charge, and wherein the second nozzle configured to introduce a second mist into the mixing portion of the inert environment, the second mist including graphene flakes, the second mist having a positive charge; and an output configured to convey a graphene-copper composite powder from the inert environment, the graphene-copper composite powder being formed from mixing of the first mist of negatively charged atomized copper and the second mist of positively charged graphene flakes.

11 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising at least one mesh screen configured to separate the graphene-copper composite powder into a plurality of fractions within the inert environment.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the first nozzle is a high-pressure nozzle.

13 . The system of claim 10 , wherein copper particles of the graphene-copper composite powder consist of copper nanoparticles.

14 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising a forming device configured to form, via additive manufacturing or traditional powder metallurgy process, a graphene-copper composite heat sink from the graphene-copper composite powder.

15 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising a forming device configured to form, via additive manufacturing or traditional powder metallurgy process, a graphene-copper composite busbar from the graphene-copper composite powder.

16 . A graphene-copper composite powder formed by:
providing an inert environment; introducing a first mist to the inert environment, the first mist being atomized copper with a negative charge; introducing a second mist to the inert environment, the second mist including graphene flakes with a positive charge; and mixing the first mist and the second mist within the inert environment to thereby produce a graphene-copper composite powder.

17 . The graphene-copper composite powder of claim 16 , wherein the graphene-copper composite powder is a fraction of a plurality of fractions separated, using at least one mesh screen, within the inert environment.

18 . The graphene-copper composite powder of claim 16 , wherein the first mist is formed from copper melt fed into the inert environment through a high-pressure nozzle.

19 . The graphene-copper composite powder of claim 16 , wherein copper particles of the graphene-copper composite powder consist of copper nanoparticles.

20 . The graphene-copper composite powder of claim 16 , wherein the graphene flakes are formed via electrochemical exfoliation.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Wang Qigui
• Liu Yi
• Daul Ronald C
• Shabbir Ali
• Sonta Kestutis A
• Wilson Daniel J

Classifications

• C22C1/1042 Primary

  by atomising · CPC title

• B22F1/054

  Nanosized particles · CPC title

• C22C1/05

  Mixtures of metal powder with non-metallic powder (C22C1/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B22F9/082

  atomising using a fluid (using centrifugal force B22F9/10) · CPC title

• C22C1/0425

  Copper-based alloys · CPC title