1 Sino-European Institute of Aviation Engineering, Civil Aviation University of China, Tianjin 300300, China 2 School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced aluminum matrix composites were fabricated by powder metallurgy route, including in-situ chemical vapor deposition synthesis and ball-milling process. The effect of ball-milling process on the microstructure and mechanical properties of CNT/Al composites was investigated. The results show that the best tensile properties of CNT/Al composites can be achieved without adding any process control agent; with the increment of milling time, CNTs are gradually embedded into Al matrix and the composite microstructure becomes more dense and uniform. The hardness and tensile strength of CNT/Al composites continuously increase with the increase of milling time; however, the elongation firstly increases and then decreases. The composites after 90min of milling show a good balance between strength and ductility, and the hardness and tensile strength of which is 1.4 and 1.7 times higher than that of pure Al respectively, with elongation of 17.9%.
YANG Y , YANG S L . Research status and development prospect of mental matrix composite reinforced by carbon nanotubes[J]. Materials Review, 2007, 21 (Suppl 1): 182- 184.
2
THOSTENSON E T , REN Z , CHOU T W . Advances in the science and technology of carbon nanotubes and their composites:a review[J]. Composites Science and Technology, 2001, 61 (13): 1899- 1912.
doi: 10.1016/S0266-3538(01)00094-X
3
BAKSHI S R , LAHIRI D , AGARWAL A . Carbon nanotube reinforced metal matrix composites-a review[J]. International Materials Reviews, 2010, 55 (1): 41- 64.
doi: 10.1179/095066009X12572530170543
4
CHA S I , KIM K T , ARSHAD S N , et al. Extraordinary strengthening effect of carbon nanotubes in metal-matrix nanocomposites processed by molecular-level mixing[J]. Advanced Materials, 2005, 17 (11): 1377- 1381.
doi: 10.1002/(ISSN)1521-4095
5
JIANG L , LI Z , FAN G , et al. The use of flake powder metallurgy to produce carbon nanotube (CNT)/aluminum composites with a homogenous CNT distribution[J]. Carbon, 2012, 50 (5): 1993- 1998.
doi: 10.1016/j.carbon.2011.12.057
6
BAKSHI S R , AGARWAL A . An analysis of the factors affecting strengthening in carbon nanotube reinforced aluminum composites[J]. Carbon, 2010, 49 (2): 533- 544.
7
LAHA T , CHEN Y , LAHIRI D , et al. Tensile properties of carbon nanotube reinforced aluminum nanocomposite fabricated by plasma spray forming[J]. Composites Part A, 2009, 40 (5): 589- 594.
doi: 10.1016/j.compositesa.2009.02.007
8
LIU Z Y , XIAO B L , WANG W G , et al. Analysis of carbon nanotube shortening and composite strengthening in carbon nanotube/aluminum composites fabricated by multi-pass friction stir processing[J]. Carbon, 2014, 69, 264- 274.
doi: 10.1016/j.carbon.2013.12.025
9
ZHOU S , ZHANG X , DING Z , et al. Fabrication and tribological properties of carbon nanotubes reinforced Al composites prepared by pressureless infiltration technique[J]. Composites Part A, 2007, 38 (2): 301- 306.
doi: 10.1016/j.compositesa.2006.04.004
10
ESAWI A M K , MORSI K , SAYED A , et al. The influence of carbon nanotube (CNT) morphology and diameter on the processing and properties of CNT-reinforced aluminium composites[J]. Composites Part A, 2011, 42 (3): 234- 243.
doi: 10.1016/j.compositesa.2010.11.008
11
DENG C F , WANG D Z , ZHANG X X , et al. Processing and properties of carbon nanotubes reinforced aluminum composites[J]. Materials Science and Engineering:A, 2007, 444 (1): 138- 145.
XU S J , XIAO B L , LIU Z Y , et al. Microstructures and mechanical properties of CNT/Al composites fabricated by high energy ball-milling method[J]. Acta Metallurgica Sinica, 2012, 48 (7): 882- 888.
YANG X D , ZOU T C , CHEN Y J , et al. Fabrication and mechanical properties of aluminum matrix composites reinforced with carbon nanotubes and alumina[J]. Journal of Materials Engineering, 2016, 44 (7): 67- 72.
doi: 10.11868/j.issn.1001-4381.2016.07.012
14
POIRIER D , GAUVIN R , DREW R A L . Structural characterization of a mechanically milled carbon nanotube/aluminum mixture[J]. Composites Part A, 2009, 40 (9): 1482- 1489.
doi: 10.1016/j.compositesa.2009.05.025
15
HE C N , ZHAO N Q , SHI C S , et al. An approach to obtaining homogeneously dispersed carbon nanotubes in Al powders for preparing reinforced Al-matrix composites[J]. Advanced Materials, 2007, 19 (8): 1128- 1132.
doi: 10.1002/(ISSN)1521-4095
16
YANG X D , LIU E Z , SHI C S , et al. Fabrication of carbon nanotube reinforced Al composites with well-balanced strength and ductility[J]. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2013, 563, 216- 220.
doi: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2013.02.066
17
WANG J W , YANG X D , ZHANG M , et al. A novel approach to obtain in-situ growth carbon nanotube reinforced aluminum foams with enhanced properties[J]. Materials Letters, 2015, 161, 763- 766.
doi: 10.1016/j.matlet.2015.09.093
18
YANG X D , ZOU T C , SHI C S , et al. Effect of carbon nanotube (CNT) content on the properties of in-situ synthesis CNT reinforced Al composites[J]. Materials Science and Engineering:A, 2016, 660, 11- 18.
doi: 10.1016/j.msea.2016.02.062
19
CHEN B , LI S , IMAI H , et al. Load transfer strengthening in carbon nanotubes reinforced metal matrix composites via in-situ tensile tests[J]. Composites Science and Technology, 2015, 113, 1- 8.
doi: 10.1016/j.compscitech.2015.03.009
20
BOESL B , LAHIRI D , BEHDAD S , et al. Direct observation of carbon nanotube induced strengthening in aluminum composite via in situ tensile tests[J]. Carbon, 2014, 69, 79- 85.
doi: 10.1016/j.carbon.2013.11.061
21
KELLY A , TYSON W R . Tensile properties of fibre-reinforced metals:copper/tungsten and copper/molybdenum[J]. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 1965, 13 (6): 329- 350.
doi: 10.1016/0022-5096(65)90035-9