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Single-wall carbon nanotubes as attractive toughening agents in alumina-based nanocomposites

Nature Materials volume 2, pages 38–42 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

The extraordinary mechanical, thermal and electrical properties of carbon nanotubes have prompted intense research into a wide range of applications in structural materials, electronics, chemical processing and energy management. Attempts have been made to develop advanced engineering materials with improved or novel properties through the incorporation of carbon nanotubes in selected matrices (polymers, metals and ceramics). But the use of carbon nanotubes to reinforce ceramic composites has not been very successful; for example, in alumina-based systems only a 24% increase in toughness has been obtained so far. Here we demonstrate their potential use in reinforcing nanocrystalline ceramics. We have fabricated fully dense nanocomposites of single-wall carbon nanotubes with nanocrystalline alumina (Al2O3) matrix at sintering temperatures as low as 1,150 °C by spark-plasma sintering. A fracture toughness of 9.7 MPa m½, nearly three times that of pure nanocrystalline alumina, can be achieved.

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Figure 1: 'Ropes' of carbon nanotubes.
Figure 2: Composite fracture surface.
Figure 3: Indentation-induced crack.
Figure 4: Fracture toughness as a function of nanotube content.
Figure 5: SWCN morphology in the composites.
Figure 6: A partially consolidated composite.

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Acknowledgements

This investigation was supported by a grant (G-DAAD 19-00-1-0185) from the US Army Research Office with W. Mullins as the Program Manager. We thank J. Garay for help in SPS, and C. Nelson of the National Center for Electron Microscopy at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory for assistance with TEM.

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  1. Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, One Shields Avenue, University of California, Davis, 95616, California, USA

    Guo-Dong Zhan, Joshua D. Kuntz, Julin Wan & Amiya K. Mukherjee

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  1. Guo-Dong Zhan
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  2. Joshua D. Kuntz
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Correspondence to Amiya K. Mukherjee.

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Zhan, GD., Kuntz, J., Wan, J. et al. Single-wall carbon nanotubes as attractive toughening agents in alumina-based nanocomposites. Nature Mater 2, 38–42 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat793

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