Effects of carbon nanotube reinforcement and grain size refinement mechanical properties and wear behaviors of carbon nanotube/copper composites

摘要

Carbon nanotube reinforced copper alloy (CNT/Cu) composites with high strength and good wear resistance have been developed using acid treatment, sintering processes and consolidation techniques. The effects of CNT reinforcement and grain size refinement on the mechanical properties and surface deformations of CNT/Cu composite coatings are investigated by means of nanoindentation and block-on-ring wear tests, respectively. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analyses reveal that the CNTs are firmly implanted in the Cu alloy due to the formation of Cu-oxides at the CNT-Cu interface. The effect of CNT addition on the CNT/Cu coating strength is significantly greater than that of grain size reinforcement. Finally, the present results indicate that the addition of CNTs to the Cu matrix reduces the surface deformations of the CNT/Cu composite coatings due to the formation of a carbonaceous solid-lubricant film at the contact interface during sliding. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.