Microstructural characterization of AA6061 aluminum matrix composites reinforced by multi wall carbon nanotubes

• Grant number: 13/10570-9
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: September 01, 2013 - August 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering
• Principal researcher: Dilermando Nagle Travessa
• Grantee: Dilermando Nagle Travessa
• Home Institution: Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia (ICT). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São José dos Campos. São José dos Campos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The present project proposal is complementary to the work performed in the scope of a recent Research Stage performed at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas (CENIM-CSIC, Spain), in which AA6061 / multi walled carbon nanotubes Metal Matrix Composite (MMC), were produced by the powder metallurgy route: high energy ball milling followed by direct hot extrusion. These composites were produced under several experimental conditions and exhibited very interesting mechanical properties. However the lack of a deep microstructural evaluation (not planed in the former scope) resulted that the correlation between the process parameters and the mechanical properties obtained, was not possible.Scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM) combined to energy dispersive spectroscopy and electron diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction will be the main characterization techniques to be employed in this study. Based on the microstructure characterization and on the calorimetric analysis, it is expected to establish heat treatment procedures, able to combine the hardening effects of nanotubes dispersion and phase precipitation from solute atoms present in the alloy. Hardness testing will evaluate the new heat treatment procedures. An improvement on the strength of the composite, related to the strength level of the actual commercial alloy, is expected. It is also expected that the developed methodology be applicable to other precipitation hardening commercial aluminum alloys. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

TRAVESSA, DILERMANDO N.; DA ROCHA, GEOVANA V. B.; CARDOSO, KATIA R.; LIEBLICH, MARCELA. Carbon Nanotube-Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composites Produced by High-Energy Ball Milling. Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance, v. 26, n. 6, p. 2998-3006, JUN 2017. Web of Science Citations: 3.