Hardness and wear resistance of carbon nanotube reinforced aluminum-copper matrix composites

Abstract

Recently, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been attracted to reinforcement of composite materials due to their extraordinary mechanical, thermal and electrical properties. Many researchers have attempted to develop CNT reinforced metal composites with various fabrication methods and have shown possibilities for structural and functional applications. Among them, CNT reinforced Al matrix composites have become very attractive due to their huge structural application in industry. In this study, CNT reinforced Al-Cu matrix composites with a microstructure of homogeneous dispersion of CNTs in the Al-Cu matrix are investigated. The CNT/Al-Cu composites are fabricated by mixing of CNT/Cu composite powders and Al powders by high energy ball mill process followed by hot extrusion process. The hardness and wear resistance of the CNT/Al-Cu composites are enhanced by 1.4 and 3 times, respectively, compared to those values for the Al-Cu matrix. This remarkable enhancement mainly originates from the homogeneous dispersion of CNTs in Al-Cu matrix and self-lubricant effect of CNTs.