Electrophoretic deposition of graphene coating on copper for improved thermoelectric performance of wire rods

Power transmission and transformation are important parts of power distribution, which is increasingly necessary in modern society; this is particularly important due to the green transition. Consequently, increasing the efficiency of power transformers is a priority to improve the economic and environmental aspects of electrical transformation. Lightweight graphene coatings on transformer wire rods represent a valid solution improving thermoelectrical performances. In this work, a graphene coating was applied by electrophoretic deposition to copper wire rods through a sustainable deposition bath, studying the impact of the deposition current density. The morphology of the coated wire rods, the adhesion of the coating to the substrate, and their thermoelectric properties were evaluated. This work demonstrates the application of EPD to coat copper wire rods with graphene, resulting in a 5.58% reduction in electrical resistivity and an 88% enhancement in thermal performance. In addition, relationships between coating performances and deposition parameters were highlighted. An analysis of variation (ANOVA) confirmed the main role of the current density on the examined outputs.