Electrical conductivity and contact phenomena in porous metallic materials

The change in electrical resistance of copper fiber and powder compacts upon heating from room to the sintering temperature was studied. It was found that different regimes of heating in vacuum did not affect the temperature dependence of electrical resistance. A relationship between electrical conductivity and the relative size of interparticle contacts was derived for a model fiber body. This was in good agreement with data on the tensile strength of real fiber materials.