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Nano Research 2021, 14(8): 2776-2782 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-021-3284-4
Research Article | Issue | Published: 20 January 2021

A novel aluminum-carbon nanotubes nanocomposite with doubled strength and preserved electrical conductivity

Show Author's Information Shuai Zhang1,  Gaoqiang Chen1,  Timing Qu1,  Jinquan Wei2,  Yufan Yan1,  Qu Liu1,  Mengran Zhou1,  Gong Zhang1,  Zhaoxia Zhou3,  Huan Gao4,  Dawei Yao4,  Yuanwang Zhang4,  Qingyu Shi1( ),  Hua Zhang5
State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials Processing Technology Ministry of Education of China, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Key Lab for Advanced Materials Processing Technology of Education Ministry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Loughborough materials characterization center, Department of materials, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, UK
State Key Laboratory of Special Cable Technology, Shanghai Electric Cable Research Institute Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200093, China
School of Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology, Beijing 102617, China
Keywords:
electrical conductivity, interface, mechanical properties, friction stir processing, carbon nanotubes/aluminum nanocomposites
Topics:
AluminumAluminum compoundsCarbon nanotubesElectron scatteringGrain boundariesHigh resolution transmission electron microscopyNanocomposites
Cite this article:
Zhang S, Chen G, Qu T, et al. A novel aluminum-carbon nanotubes nanocomposite with doubled strength and preserved electrical conductivity. Nano Research, 2021, 14(8): 2776-2782. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-021-3284-4
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Abstract Full text About this article

Enhancing the mechanical strength of highly conductive pure metals usually causes significant reduction in their electrical conductivity. For example, introducing phase/matrix interfaces or more grain boundaries, are common and effective methods to strengthen metals. But it simultaneously increases the electron scattering at the interface, thus reducing the electrical conductivity. In this study, we demonstrate that pure aluminum (Al)/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) nanocomposites prepared by friction stir processing have successfully broken through these limitations. The yield strength and tensile strength of Al/CNTs nanocomposites have improved by 104.7% and 51.8% compared to pure Al, while the electrical conductivity remained comparable to that of pure Al. To explore the potential mechanisms, the interface between CNTs and Al was examined and characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy. Little interfacial reaction compounds were present and no visible physical gaps were observed at CNTs and Al interfaces. We defined it as a clean and tightly bonded interface. Although the quantity of phase interface has increased, the electrical conductivity of the nanocomposite remains approximately unchanged. We attribute the preserved electrical conductivity to the clean and tightly bonded CNTs/Al interface in the nanocomposite.


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About this article

A novel aluminum-carbon nanotubes nanocomposite with doubled strength and preserved electrical conductivity

Show Author's information Shuai Zhang1, Gaoqiang Chen1, Timing Qu1, Jinquan Wei2, Yufan Yan1, Qu Liu1, Mengran Zhou1, Gong Zhang1, Zhaoxia Zhou3, Huan Gao4, Dawei Yao4, Yuanwang Zhang4, Qingyu Shi1( ), Hua Zhang5
State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials Processing Technology Ministry of Education of China, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Key Lab for Advanced Materials Processing Technology of Education Ministry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Loughborough materials characterization center, Department of materials, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, UK
State Key Laboratory of Special Cable Technology, Shanghai Electric Cable Research Institute Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200093, China
School of Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology, Beijing 102617, China

Abstract

Enhancing the mechanical strength of highly conductive pure metals usually causes significant reduction in their electrical conductivity. For example, introducing phase/matrix interfaces or more grain boundaries, are common and effective methods to strengthen metals. But it simultaneously increases the electron scattering at the interface, thus reducing the electrical conductivity. In this study, we demonstrate that pure aluminum (Al)/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) nanocomposites prepared by friction stir processing have successfully broken through these limitations. The yield strength and tensile strength of Al/CNTs nanocomposites have improved by 104.7% and 51.8% compared to pure Al, while the electrical conductivity remained comparable to that of pure Al. To explore the potential mechanisms, the interface between CNTs and Al was examined and characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy. Little interfacial reaction compounds were present and no visible physical gaps were observed at CNTs and Al interfaces. We defined it as a clean and tightly bonded interface. Although the quantity of phase interface has increased, the electrical conductivity of the nanocomposite remains approximately unchanged. We attribute the preserved electrical conductivity to the clean and tightly bonded CNTs/Al interface in the nanocomposite.

Keywords: electrical conductivity, interface, mechanical properties, friction stir processing, carbon nanotubes/aluminum nanocomposites

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Publication history
Copyright

Publication history

Received: 16 July 2020
Revised: 07 September 2020
Accepted: 07 December 2020
Published: 20 January 2021
Issue date: August 2021

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© Tsinghua University Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2021
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