Project Team
Students
Julian Low
Mechanical Engineering
Penn State Harrisburg
Ritu Bhalodia
Aerospace Engineering
Penn State University Park
Faculty Mentors
Esfakur Rahman
Penn State Harrisburg
Mechanical Engineering
Namiko Yamamoto
Penn State University Park
Aerospace Engineering
Project
Project Video
Project Abstract
Some form of carbon-reinforced material has long been adopted in industry. Materials such as carbon fiber are known for their strong, lightweight properties which makes it a common choice for many applications. However, carbon nanotubes (CNT) have received huge attention from the scientific community due to their capabilities and unique structure. Alongside aluminum alloys (Al) which are known for their low density and high strength, an Al-CNT matrix is looked upon as an ideal combination that can lead to a lightweight, high strength composite material. Materials such as these are vital in the automotive and aerospace industry, for example, as they look to improve efficiency and lower the consumption of fuel and energy. Past research has provided an understanding of several aspects of Al-CNT fabrication such as the processing methods of aluminum powders, the ideal method for improving CNT dispersion, as well as tensile behavior of the Al-CNT matrix. This research tackles the issue of optimal Al-CNT binding and CNT dispersion methods. Testing was done by using various vertical ball milling speeds and times to form flaky aluminum powders. Multiple surfactant combinations and cell disruption times were also used to test the effect on CNT dispersion. From the results obtained, it is found that smaller-sized Al powders and higher milling speeds led to more fracturing on the Al powders which allows them to be broken down and flattened out. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a surfactant at 0.5wt% CTAB, 1.0wt% CNT yielded the best absorption value. The ball milling provides more surface area for CNTs to bind with Al particles while the CTAB as a surfactant along with the surfactant-CNT ratio would bind more effectively with the Al particles. Future work is to be carried out for this research in combining the aluminum particles with the CNT, and testing its dispersibility and absorption. Mechanical testing will also be carried out after sintering to determine the mechanical properties of the Al-CNT composite compared to Al alloys.
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