Investigation of Mechanical Properties of Al/CNT Nanocomposites Produced by Powder Metallurgy

Demanding requirements in automotive and aerospace applications promote the growing need to obtain materials and advanced technology capable of combining low weight with high mechanical properties. Aluminum matrix nanocomposites could be great candidates to respond to such needs. In this sense, this investigation aims to study the mechanical properties of nanocomposites of aluminum matrices reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The nanocomposites were produced by powder metallurgy with 1.00 vol.% of reinforcement and ultrasonication as the dispersion method. Tensile, Vickers microhardness and nanoindentation tests were carried out in different sections. Microstructural characterizations were conducted in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) to understand and relate to the mechanical properties. An increase in the yield strength of 185% was observed for the nanocomposites, which can be attributed to the load transfer mechanism. However, the CNTs observed at the grain boundaries promote a decrease in the ductility of the nanocomposites. The mechanical behavior of the nanocomposites was further investigated by EBSD observation. The results revealed that the nanocomposites have a less extensive area of plastic deformation than the Al matrix, which is consistent with the tensile results. The presence of reinforcement affects the lattice rotation during the tensile test and the active slip systems, thus affecting their deformation behavior.