Fabrication and thermal properties of carbon nanotube/nickel composite by spark plasma sintering method

Abstract

Multi wall carbon nanotube (MWNT) is an attractive material with excellent thermal conductivity and mechanical properties. However, the report to which thermal conductivity improves by combining it to the metal matrix is very few. In the aim of improving the thermal conductivity, nickel-matrix composite with MWNT was prepared by slurry mixing process where ethanol was used as solvent. Using spark plasma sintering (SPS), MWNT/Nickel nanocomposite were fabricated and the fabricating conditions were investigated. The sintered relative densities of the composites containing up to 5 vol% of MWNT were above 99%. The thermal and electrical behaviors of MWNT/Nickel composite were determined using laser flash and van der Pauw methods and were found to be anisotropic, respectively. The thermal conductivity is found to increase 10% for composition with 3 vol% MWNT. © 2006 The Japan Institute of Metals.