Enhanced mechanical and electrical properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes reinforced Cu/Ti3SiC2/C nanocomposites via high-pressure torsion
(1. Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China;
2. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China;
3. School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom;
4. Teaching and Research Support Center, Naval Aviation University, Yantai 264001, China;
5. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7491, Norway;
6. Institute for Applied Materials, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe 76131, Germany)
2. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China;
3. School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom;
4. Teaching and Research Support Center, Naval Aviation University, Yantai 264001, China;
5. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7491, Norway;
6. Institute for Applied Materials, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe 76131, Germany)
Abstract: In order to achieve combined mechanical and electrical properties, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) reinforced Cu/Ti3SiC2/C nanocomposites were further processed by high-pressure torsion (HPT). The maximum microhardness values of central and edge from the composites with 1 wt.% MWCNTs reached HV 130.0 and HV 363.5, which were 43.9% and 39.5% higher than those of the original samples, respectively. With the same content of MWCNTs, its electrical conductivity achieved 3.42×107 S/m, which was increased by 78.1% compared with that of original samples. The synergistic improvement of mechanical and electrical properties is attributed to the obtained microstructure with increased homogenization and refinement, as well as improved interfacial bonding and reduced porosity. The strengthening mechanisms include dispersion and refinement strengthening for mechanical properties, as well as reduced electron scattering for electrical properties.
Key words: Cu/Ti3SiC2/C nanocomposites; multi-walled carbon nanotubes; high-pressure torsion; microstructure; microhardness; electrical conductivity