Electromagnetic launch armature-rail interfaces often undergo severe mechanical friction under high-speed relative motion

leading to significant wear and failure of metallic rail materials. Graphene (Gr)

as a novel self-lubricating material

has been widely used to enhance the performance of metal matrix composites. However

the microscopic mechanism of Gr in improving the anti-friction and wear resistance of copper-based electromagnetic rails remains unclear. In this study

a copper-based graphene composite (CuGr) model is developed by using molecular dynamics simulations. The model is implemented in LAMMPS to calculate friction coefficients under varying graphene layer counts and indentation depths. The dynamic evolution of the microstructure is analyzed to clarify the mechanisms by which graphene enhances the friction and wear performance of the copper matrix. Experimental results confirm the lubricating effect of graphene. The findings demonstrate that graphene doping significantly improves the frictional performance of the copper matrix

with a marked reduction in wear and a decrease in friction coefficient as the number of graphene layers increases. Specifically

the friction coefficients of the single-layer

double-layer

and triple-layer CuGr models are reduced by 37.06%

42.94%

and 54.69%

respectively

compared to pure copper. The introduction of graphene helps address the mechanical performance degradation caused by friction at the armature-rail interface during electromagnetic launch. The performance enhancement mechanism of Gr/Cu composites is attributed to the layered structural support and dislocation blocking. These results provide theoretical guidance and technical support for the optimized design and performance enhancement of graphene/copper-based composites.