OBRABOTKAMETALLOV Vol. 28 No. 3 2026 201 MATERIAL SCIENCE References 1. Marzouk S.A., Abou Al-Sood M.M., El-Said E.M.S., Younes M.M., El-Fakharany M.K. A comprehensive review of methods of heat transfer enhancement in shell and tube heat exchangers. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, 2023, vol. 148, pp. 7539–7578. 2. Pungaiya S., Kailasanathan C.Areview of surface coating technology to increase the heat transfer. International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics Research, 2018, vol. 7 (5), pp. 458–465. Structural characterization of graphene-coated copper substrate prepared by scalable In-Situ spray coating using xylene dispersion Sudhakar Vitthalrao Giri 1, 2, a, *, Arun Autee 3, b, Abhijeet Kadam 4, c, Rajendra Shinde 2, d 1 Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, 431004, India 2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, CSMSS Chhatrapati Shahu College of Engineering, Kanchanwadi, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, 431011, India 3 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Maharashtra Institute of Technology, Beed Bypass Road, Satara Parisar, Gate No. 5, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, 431010, India 4 Department of Physics, CSMSS Chhatrapati Shahu College of Engineering, Kanchanwadi, ChhatrapatiSambhajinagar, Maharashtra, 431011, India a https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0230-2030, sudhavgiri@gmail.com; b https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2132-0532, arun.autee@mit.asia; c https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0593-6145, arkadam6@gmail.com; d https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5329-1118, rajendrashinde2222@gmail.com Obrabotka metallov - Metal Working and Material Science Journal homepage: http://journals.nstu.ru/obrabotka_metallov Obrabotka metallov (tekhnologiya, oborudovanie, instrumenty) = Metal Working and Material Science. 2026 vol. 28 no. 3 pp. 185–204 ISSN: 1994-6309 (print) / 2541-819X (online) DOI: 10.17212/1994-6309-2026-28.3-185-204 ART I CLE I NFO Article history: Received: 24 May 2026 Revised: 30 May 2026 Accepted: 13 June 2026 Available online: 15 September 2026 Keywords: Graphene coating Heat exchanger Spray coating Xylene dispersion Copper substrate Raman spectroscopy FTIR analysis XRD characterization Few-layer graphene Thermal management ABSTRACT Introduction. Graphene exhibits exceptional thermal conductivity, hydrophobicity, mechanical strength, and electron transport properties, which render it a candidate material for advanced thermal management and heat transfer applications. However, conventional deposition techniques, such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), are often expensive, technologically complex, and diffi cult to scale for large-area engineering applications. The present study is focused on the development of a simple, cost-eff ective, and scalable in-situ spray-coating technique for depositing graphene onto copper substrates using a xylene-based dispersion system. Materials and methods. A stable sprayable graphene dispersion was prepared from graphene synthesized using the modifi ed Hummers method and dispersed in a mixture of xylene, isopropanol, epoxy binder, and suspension agents. The coating was deposited onto copper substrates under controlled conditions. Structural and surface characterization of the graphene-coated copper substrate was performed using X-ray diff raction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The graphene layer thickness and interlayer spacing were estimated using Bragg’s law and the Scherrer equation. Results and Discussion. XRD analysis confi rmed the formation of few-layer graphene with an interlayer spacing of 3.37 Å and an estimated thickness corresponding to approximately 5–6 graphene layers. Raman spectroscopy revealed the characteristic D, G, and 2D bands, confi rming successful graphene deposition on the copper substrate. The ID/IG ratio decreased from 2.1 for the as-received graphene powder to 0.85 after coating deposition, indicating preferential deposition of better-dispersed graphene sheets. FTIR analysis suggested Cu–O–C interfacial interactions between graphene and copper. SEM observations revealed uniformly distributed wrinkled graphene sheets forming interconnected conductive pathways across the substrate surface. The crystallographic structure of copper remained unchanged after coating, and no secondary phases were detected. Conclusions. The developed xylene-assisted spray-coating process provides a practical and scalable route for depositing graphene on copper substrates. The resulting coating exhibited an interlayer spacing of 3.37 Å, approximately 5–6 graphene layers, characteristic graphene Raman signatures, and a uniform surface morphology. These fi ndings demonstrate the potential of graphene-coated copper substrates for advanced thermal management systems, including condensers, evaporators, phase-change heat exchangers, and high-performance heat-transfer surfaces. For citation: Giri S.V., Autee A., Kadam A., Shinde R. Structural characterization of graphene-coated copper substrate prepared by scalable In-Situ spray coating using xylene dispersion. Obrabotka metallov (tekhnologiya, oborudovanie, instrumenty) = Metal Working and Material Science, 2026, vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 185–204. DOI: 10.17212/1994-6309-2026-28.3-185-204. (In Russian). ______ * Corresponding author Giri Sudhakar Vitthalrao, Ph.D. (Engineering), Research Scholar Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, 431004, Maharashtra, India Tel.: +91 9850884540, e-mail: sudhavgiri@gmail.com
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