Inter-wall bridging induced peeling of multi-walled carbon nanotubes during tensile failure in aluminum matrix composites

Biao Chen; Shufeng Li; Hisashi Imai; Junko Umeda; Makoto Takahashi; Katsuyoshi Kondoh

doi:10.1016/j.micron.2014.10.005

Inter-wall bridging induced peeling of multi-walled carbon nanotubes during tensile failure in aluminum matrix composites

Micron. 2015 Feb:69:1-5. doi: 10.1016/j.micron.2014.10.005. Epub 2014 Oct 31.

Authors

Biao Chen¹, Shufeng Li², Hisashi Imai², Junko Umeda², Makoto Takahashi², Katsuyoshi Kondoh²

Affiliations

¹ Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan. Electronic address: chen-b@jwri.osaka-u.ac.jp.
² Joining and Welding Research Institute, Osaka University, 11-1 Mihogaoka, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan.

PMID: 25437849
DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2014.10.005

Abstract

In situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation of a tensile test was performed to investigate the fracturing behavior of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in powder metallurgy Al matrix composites. A multiple peeling phenomenon during MWCNT fracturing was clearly observed. Its formation mechanism and resultant effect on the composite strength were examined. Through transition electron microscopy characterizations, it was observed that defective structures like inter-wall bridges cross-linked adjacent walls of MWCNTs. This structure was helpful to improve the inter-wall bonding conditions, leading to the effective load transfer between walls and resultant peeling behaviors of MWCNTs. These results might provide new understandings of the fracturing mechanisms of carbon nanotube reinforcements for designing high-performance nanocomposites.

Keywords: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs); Composites; Fracture; Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs); Peeling.