Carbon long fiber/copper composites were prepared using electroless and electroplating methods with copper metal for potential aerospace applications. Carbon fibers were heat-treated at 450 °C followed by acid treatment before the metallization processes. Three different methods of metallization processes were applied: electroless silver deposition, electroless copper deposition and electroplating copper deposition. The metallized carbon fibers were subjected to copper deposition via two different routes. The first method was the electroless deposition technique in an alkaline tartrate bath using formaldehyde as a reducing agent of the copper ions from the copper sulphate solution. The second method was conducted by copper electroplating on the chemically treated carbon fibers. The produced carbon fiber/copper composites were extensively investigated by Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) supported with an Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDAX) unit to analyze the size, surface morphology, and chemical composition of the produced carbon long fiber/copper composites. The results show that the carbon fiber/copper composites prepared using the electroplating method had a coated type surface morphology with good adhesion between the copper coated layer and the surface of the carbon fibers. However, the carbon fiber/copper composites prepared using the electroless deposition had a decorated type morphology. Moreover, it was observed that the metallized carbon fibers using the silver method enhanced the electroless copper coating process with respect to the electroless copper coating process without silver metallization. The electrical conductivity of the carbon fiber/copper composites was improved by metallization of the carbon fibers using silver, as well as by the electrodeposition method.
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