Al/CNT nanocomposite fabrication on the different property of raw material using a planetary ball mill

In recent years, significant research has been focused on the development of carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced aluminum nanocomposites, which are quickly emerging because of their lightweight, high strength and other mechanical properties. The potential applications of these composites include the automotive and aerospace industries. In this study, powder metallurgy techniques are employed to fabricate aluminum (Al)/CNT nanocomposites with different raw material properties with optimized conditions. We successfully fabricated three different samples, including un-milled Al, un-milled Al with CNT and milled Al with CNT nanocomposites, in the presence of additional CNTs with various experimental conditions using a planetary ball mill. Scanning electron microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy are used to evaluate the particle morphology and CNT dispersion. The CNTs are well dispersed on the surface of the fabricated milled Al with CNT nanocomposites than un-milled Al with CNT nanocomposites for milling. The fabricated Al/CNT nanocomposites are processed by a compacting, sintering and rolling process. Vickers hardness measurements are used to characterize the mechanical properties. The hardness of the Al/CNT nanocomposites are improved milled Al with CNT nanocomposite compared other fabricated composites.