Flexible graphite under repeated compression studied by electrical resistance measurements Original Research Article

Flexible graphite (a gasket material) under repeated compression was studied by real-time measurement of the electrical resistance perpendicular to the flexible graphite sheet, which was sandwiched by copper. The resistance decreased reversibly upon compression perpendicular to the sheet, due mainly to the reversible conformability of flexible graphite and the consequent reversible decrease of the contact resistivity between flexible graphite and copper. Two cycles of compression largely eliminated the irreversible resistance and strain changes. A low stress amplitude (<4 MPa) and a low strain amplitude (<25%) were necessary in order to minimize irreversible deformation of the flexible graphite itself.