Structural integrity and dispersion characteristics of carbon nanotubes in titanium-based alloy

Conference of the South African Advanced Materials Initiative 2018

Okoro, A.M.^1 ; Machaka, R.^2 ; Lephuthing, S.S.^1 ; Awotunde, M.^1 ; Olubambi, P.A.^1

Centre for Nanoengineering and Tribocorrosion, Department of Metallurgy, School of Mining, Metallurgy and Chemical Engineering, University of Johannesburg, South Africa^1

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa^2

关键词: Characterization techniques;    Dispersion characteristics;    Engineering materials;    Homogeneous dispersions;    Lightweight materials;    Low energy ball millings;    Mechanical and thermal properties;    Titanium-based alloys;   

Others  :  https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757-899X/430/1/012004/pdf
DOI  :  10.1088/1757-899X/430/1/012004

来源: IOP

【 摘 要 】

Over the years, carbon nanotubes have attracted much attention in engineering materials research due to their outstanding and superlative properties. Owing to the demands for lightweight materials with excellent mechanical and thermal properties for diverse industrial applications encouraged the incorporation of carbon nanotubes into titanium alloys. However, there are various challenges associated with the incorporation of carbon nanotubes into titanium alloys which includes; uniform dispersion and retaining the structural integrity of carbon nanotubes after dispersion. Past works have emphasized the importance of homogeneous dispersion with less structural damage to the carbon nanotubes in the various metal matrix. Therefore, this research focused on dispersion of 0.5 wt. % multiwalled carbon nanotubes in Ti6Al4V using low energy ball milling and evaluating the dispersion characteristics and structural integrity of MWCNTs in Ti6Al4V after dispersion. Various characterization techniques such as high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-Ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy were adopted to ascertain the microstructural evolution, morphology, interfacial reaction and structural integrity of the carbon nanotubes in the Ti6Al4V powders before and after dispersion. The results indicated homogeneous dispersion of carbon nanotubes with less structural damages which are confirmed from the (ID/IG) ratio of the Raman spectra and the TEM images.