A carbon/carbon–Al–Cu composite reinforced with carbon fiber 2.5D-polyacrylonitrile-based preforms was fabricated using the pressureless infiltration technique. The Al–Cu alloy liquids were successfully infiltrated into the C/C composites at high temperature and under vacuum. The mechanical and metallographic properties, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) of the C/C–Al–Cu composites were analyzed. The results showed that the bending property of the C/C–Al–Cu composites was 189 MPa, whereas that of the pure carbon slide material was only 85 MPa. The compressive strength of C/C–Al–Cu was 213 MPa, whereas that of the pure carbon slide material was only 102 MPa. The resistivity of C/C–Al–Cu was only 1.94 μΩm, which was lower than that of the pure carbon slide material (29.5 μΩm). This finding can be attributed to the “network conduction” structure. Excellent wettability was observed between Al and the carbon matrix at high temperature due to the existence of Al₄C₃. The friction coefficients of the C/C, C/C–Al–Cu, and pure carbon slide composites were 0.152, 0.175, and 0.121, respectively. The wear rate of the C/C–Al–Cu composites reached a minimum value of 2.56 × 10⁻⁷ mm³/Nm. The C/C–Al–Cu composite can be appropriately used as railway current collectors for locomotives.

Under vacuum Al–Mg alloy, liquids were successfully infiltrated into carbon/carbon (C/C) composites at high temperatures. Then, the mechanical properties, the metallographics, the scanning electron microscope images, the transmission electron microscope images, the X-ray diffraction images, and the energy dispersive spectroscopy results of C/C–Al–Mg composites were analyzed. The result showed that the bending property of C/C–Al–Mg composites reached 183 MPa whereas that of C/C composites totaled 165 MPa. The compressive strength of C/C–Al–Mg measured 206 MPa whereas that of C/C composites amounted to 142 MPa. The flexural strength and compressive strengths of the steeped metal sliders measured 121 and 104 MPa, respectively. The alloy liquid infiltrated into the matrix by forming a “network conduction” structure which reduced the resistivity and improved the conductivity of the composites. The resistivity of C/C–Al–Mg totaled 1.63 µΩm whereas that of C/C was 3.56 μΩm. During infiltration, an excellent wettability was observed between Al and the carbon matrix due to the existence of Al₄C₃. The friction coefficients of C/C, the steeped metal slide, and C/Al–Mg were 0.152, 0.068, and 0.189, respectively. The properties of C/C–Al–Mg composites meet the performance requirements of locomotive pantograph sliders.