Carbon nanotube-reinforced aluminum composite produced by induction melting

Abstract

Aluminum/carbon nanotube composite is a promising candidate material for aerospace applications owing to its high strength-to-weight ratio.Because of the low density of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), their dispersion is difficult in molten metal. We investigated induction melting, a fairlydistinct approach to facilitate the dispersion of CNTs in molten aluminum. The nanocomposites were characterized using scanning electronmicroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and mechanical testing. Refinement in crystallite size (?320 nm) and increase inlattice strain (?3.24 × 10^?3) were observed in the composites. A simultaneous increase in yield strength (?77%), tensile strength (?52%), ductility(?44%) and hardness (?45%) was observed. Induction melting appeared to be a potential method to fabricate aluminum–CNTs composites.