Mechanical properties and the effect of sliding distance on aluminium composites material prepared using multiwalled carbon nanotubes as reinforcements

Abstract

Interest in multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as the reinforcements for aluminium composites has gained much importance in the production of latest light weight and high specific strength materials. Various investigations have been conducted to understand the effect of the carbon nanotubes inclusion in the aluminium metal matrix. The present work was intended to enumerate the enhancement in the mechanical properties of the prepared aluminium composite material. The study involves the electroless technique of deposition of the nickel on the surface of the multiwalled carbon nanotubes in 35.58% proportion. Followed by the fabrication of the aluminium composite materials using stir casting technique. The determination of the tensile strength, hardness evaluation and wear studies relating to sliding distance were conducted in detail. The preparation of the composites were done with 0wt%, 2wt%, 4wt% and 6wt% of nickel coated MWCNTs addition, the composites were produced via liquid metallurgy routing. The increase in the strength when the specimen was subjected to the tension test was found upto 23.65% and the brinell hardness number was increased upto 15.38% when compared with ascast aluminium. The effect of variation of the sliding distance and wear mechanism of the fabricated composites were studied by keeping the load and sliding velocity as a constant factor and it was observed that the wear rates increased with the sliding distance. Wear behaviour results for the developed composites have been reported.