Role of Advanced Polishing Techniques in Enhancing Al-Cu Diffusion Bonding for EV Application University of Michigan Dearborn

Format:

Book

Conference/Event

Author/Creator:

Abbasi, Hossein, author.

Liu, Yi, author.

xiao, Yaohong, author.

Wang, Andy, author.

Su, Jinrong, author.

Wang, Qigui, author.

Chen, Lei, author.

Conference Name:

WCX SAE World Congress Experience (2026-04-14 : Detroit, Michigan, United States)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Heat transfer.

Joining.

Electric vehicles.

Conductivity.

Logistics.

Graphite.

Local Subjects:

Heat transfer.

Joining.

Electric vehicles.

Conductivity.

Logistics.

Graphite.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

Warrendale, PA SAE International 2026

Summary:

The demand for lightweight, high-efficiency components in electric vehicles (EVs) highlights the critical need for reliable Al-Cu joints with superior electrical and thermal conductivity. While diffusion bonding has emerged as a promising approach, interfacial impurities and voids often degrade joint quality and conductivity. Conventional manual polishing was initially employed to prepare Cu and Al surfaces; however, this method proved insufficient in consistently removing oxides and contaminants, leading to non-uniform bonding. In addition, the larger surface area of the samples made traditional polishing impractical, further motivating the use of electropolishing. To overcome these limitations, we introduce electropolishing pretreatment to achieve cleaner, void-free interfaces. Electropolishing effectively dissolves surface asperities and contaminants, enabling intimate atomic contact during bonding and minimizing the formation of brittle intermetallic phases. A systematic investigation of bonding parameters was conducted using a custom-designed graphite clamping system. Microstructural analyses reveal that advanced polishing plays a pivotal role in producing uniform, impurity-free interfaces, resulting in reduced intermetallic thickness, improved bonding strength, and enhanced current-carrying capability. This study demonstrates the clear advantages of electropolishing over conventional polishing and establishes a scalable pathway to manufacture high-performance conductive joints for next-generation EV motor and power distribution systems

Notes:

Vendor supplied data

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