Enhancing the interface bonding in carbon nanotubes reinforced Al matrix composites by the in situ formation of TiAl3 and TiC

Achieving effective load transfer at the interface between carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and aluminum (Al) is a crucial issue for fabricating high-performance CNTs reinforced Al matrix (CNT/Al) composites. In this work, CNT/Al composites with different Ti additions and the compared materials were prepared by powder metallurgy. Micro-sized Ti particles in which CNTs are well-dispersed firstly circumvent the difficulty of CNT dispersion, and subsequently act as nucleation site for sandwiched TiAl3 layers that lock the dispersed CNTs in place and improve the CNT-Al interface bonding. Additionally, Ti addition not only allows modification of the dispersed CNTs but also enhances the strength of the composites by enhancing the load-bearing capacity of the CNTs through in situ formation of nano-sized titanium carbide (TiC). This work provides a new approach to improve the load transfer efficiency of CNTs by strengthening the interface bonding for fabricating high strength CNT/Al composites.