soldering graphite?

In article , Peter Fairbrother writes

Would conductive epoxy resin do the job? E.g.

Copper plate it using a copper sulphate solution. You can then solder the copper. Best if the surface is a bit rough to give s mechanical key.

Andrew

In article , Chris Holford writes

OOPS! -Misread the spec's that one is thermally conductive; this one is electrically conductive (but not AFAIK an epoxy)

If you vacuum deposit something onto it you aren't really soldering to the graphite. It is more akin to the small brass caps crimped onto the carbon rods in old style batteries. You could solder to the brass but you weren't soldering to the carbon.

You can't deposit copper from a copper salt without replacing the surface of the 'host' body by copper from the salt. CuSO4 + C does not do anything at normal temperature, and I doubt very much if it does anything useful at higher ones.

The carbon might oxidise though...

You use a copper electrode as the anode and the graphite is the cathode. Standard school physics demo when I was at school, and I don't think the electrochemistry has changed at all !!!!!

Andrew

Find an old style battery, remove carbon electrode and use to show it works.

Being a radio bod in youth, some resstors in those days used a carbon rod, with tinned copper wire wrapped round the ends, then soldered,for leadouts. Others used a press on cap...

Chris

Been there Chris. They had the advantage that you could file a nick in the carbon resistor to adjust (increase) it's resistance - excellent for adjusting meter shunts :)

Andree

There would be a mechanical interface between the supply and the carbon electrode, as in motor brushes, etc.