Density control and wettability enhancement by functionalizing carbon nanotubes with nickel oxide in aluminum-carbon nanotube system.
Excellent mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) make them ideal reinforcements for synthesizing light weight, high strength metal matrix composite. Aluminum is attractive matrix due to its light weight and Al/CNT composites are promising materials for various industrial applications. Powder metallurgy and casting techniques are normally used for bulk fabrications of composites. Casting process which can mass-produce delicate product is more suitable than existing powder metallurgy in view point of application in industries. In CNT-metal matrix composites, however, composite bulk fabrication has been limited because of the large density gap and poor wettability between the metal and CNTs. This study suggests a method for alleviating such problems. It was found that the wettability between aluminum and CNT could be enhanced by functionalizing the CNTs with nickel oxide. This functionalization of CNTs with heavier element also reduces the density gap between the matrix and reinforcements. It is suggested that this method could possibly be used in a casting process to enable mass fabrication of CNT-metal matrix composites.
School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 440-746, Korea.
Tae-Hoon
TH
Kim
Min-Ho
MH
Park
Kwan-Woo
KW
Song
Jee-Hwan
JH
Bae
Jae-Wook
JW
Lee
Choong Do
CD
Lee
Cheol-Woong
CW
Yang
D000535:Aluminum / Q000737:chemistry*; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009532:Nickel / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D013499:Surface Properties; D017155:Wettability
D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D009532:Nickel; C028007:nickel monoxide; D000535:Aluminum