MICROSTRUCTURAL FEATURES OF THE COMPOSITE MATERIAL "ALUMINUM - MULTI-WALL CARBON NANOTUBES" AFTER SPARK PLASMA SINTERING 

Bunakov Nikita Andreevich, Research engineer, Research Technological Institute named after S. P. Kapitsa, Ulyanovsk State University (42, L’va Tolstogo street, Ulyanovsk, Russia), E-mail: na_bunakov@mail.ru
Kozlov Dmitriy Vladimirovich, Candidate of physical and mathematical sciences, head of the laboratory of materials science, Research Technological Institute named after S. P. Kapitsa, Ulyanovsk State University (42, L’va Tolstogo street, Ulyanovsk, Russia), E-mail: kozlovdv@ulsu.ru
Golovanov Viktor Nikolaevich, Doctor of physical and mathematical sciences, professor, head of the subdepartment of material physics, vice-rector for research and information technology, Ulyanovsk State University (42, L’va Tolstogo street, Ulyanovsk, Russia), E-mail: golovanovvn@ulsu.ru
Efimov Mikhail Sergeevich, Bachelor, junior researcher, Research Technological Institute named after S. P. Kapitsa, Ulyanovsk State University (42, L’va Tolstogo street, Ulyanovsk, Russia), E-mail: efimovmix@mail.ru
Belobrov Ivan Sergeevich, Research engineer, Research Technological Institute named after S. P. Kapitsa, Ulyanovsk State University (42, L’va Tolstogo street, Ulyanovsk, Russia), E-mail: suik73@mail.ru
Adamovich Artem Aleksandrovich, Research assistant, Research Technological Institute named after S. P. Kapitsa, Ulyanovsk State University (42, L’va Tolstogo street, Ulyanovsk, Russia), E-mail: artem.adamovich@bk.ru
Sugak Dmitriy Evgen'evich, Chief technologist, LLC «Promyshlennaya ekologiya» (3 building, 1 Narimanova avenue, Ulyanovsk, Russia), E-mail: demonsugak@mail.ru 

621.762 

10.21685/2072-3040-2019-3-8 

Background. Rapid progress in science and techniques requires unique performance characteristics of the structural and functional materials. Metal matrix composites strengthened by dispersed particles and fibers replacing conventional materials are responsible for the breakthrough advances in this field. Composites with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) added as a hardening phase can launch development of materials demonstrating unique combination of physical and chemical properties. On the other hand, manufacturing of such composites requires experimental studies to elaborate technological regimes enabling development of materials with the required properties and to study relation between the initial state of components and technological aspects of their processing to the performance characteristics obtained. In this work, microstructural changes in the aluminum matrix composite by MWCNTs adding in the process of spark-plasma sintering (IPA) have been studied.
Materials and methods. The aluminum powder PAD-6* (Production Ltd. "VALCOM-PM") with 99.9 % purity and pristine MWCNTs having 2% of amorphous carbon and graphite produced by MOCVD method (Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition) and functionalized via acid treatment by a H2SO4/HNO3 mixture were employed in this study. Compacting of mixed materials was performed by spark plasma sintering at 600 оС under 50 MPa applied stress for 20 min in a vacuum. The following methods are used to study the composites: scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy.
Results. Samples of aluminum matrix composite with MWNTs have been studied by electron and transmission microscopy. Microstructural changes of the composite obtained during spark-plasma sintering are described. It is shown that SPS allows destruction of Al2O3 layer on the metal powder particles. Also, we demonstrate that addition of MWNTs and increase of their concentration in the matrix reduces efficiency of the layer destruction. It is found that the intactness of MWNTs structure after SPS depends on the surface treatment of nanotubes at the stage of their preparation. 

powder metallurgy, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, spark plasma sintering, microstructure, transmission electron microscopy 

1. Bulyarskiy S. V. Uglerodnye nanotrubki: tekhnologiya, upravlenie svoystvami, primenenie [Carbon nanotubes: technology, property management, application]. Ulyanovsk: Strezhen', 2011, 478 p. [In Russian]
2. Agarwal A., Bakshi S. R., Lahiri D. Carbon nanotubes – reinforced metal matrix composites. CRC Press, 2010, 325 p.
3. Grigor'ev E. G., Kalin B. A. Elektroimpul'snaya tekhnologiya formirovaniya materialov iz poroshkov [Electropulse technology for the formation of materials made of powders]. Moscow: MIFI, 2008, 152 p. [In Russian]
4. Klimov E. S., Buzaeva M. V., Davydova O. A., Makarova I. A., Svetukhin V. V., Kozlov D. V., Pchelintseva E. S., Bunakov N. A. Russian Journal of Applied Chemistry. 2014, vol. 87, no. 8, pp. 1109−1113.
5. Klimov E. S., Davydova O. A., Buzaeva M. V., Makarova I. A., Kozlov D. V., Bunakov N. A., Nishchev N. A., Panov A. A., Pynenkov A. A. Bashkirskiy khimicheskiy zhurnal [Bashkir chemical journal]. 2014, vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 109–113. [In Russian]
6. Bunakov N. A., Kozlov D. V., Golovanov V. N., Klimov E. S., Efimov M. S. Izvestiya vysshikh uchebnykh zavedeniy. Povolzhskiy region. Fiziko-matematicheskie nauki [University proceedings. Volga region. Physical and mathematical sciences]. 2016, no. 2 (38), pp. 134–146. DOI 10.21685/2072-30402016-2-11. [In Russian]
7. Xue Y. et al. Materials and Design. 2015, vol. 88, pp. 451–460.
8. Xier G. et al. Materials Science and Engineering: A. 2003, vol. 359, pp. 384–390.
9. Omori M. Materials Science and Engineering: A. 2000, vol. 287, pp. 183–188. ISSN: 0921-5093.
10. Kwon H., Kawasaki A. Advances in Composite Materials for Medicine and Nanotechnology. 2011, pp. 431–444.
11. Cavaliere P., Sadeghi B., Shabani A. Journal of Materials Sciense. 2017, vol. 52, no. 14, pp. 8618–8629.
12. Nagae T., Tomiya S., Yokota N. Toyama Industrial Technology Center. 2001, vol. 89, pp. 89–93.