Tiny tubes boost for metal matrix composites

摘要

Novel light metal matrix composites reinforced by carbon nanotubes have been produced by a Swiss research group using powder metallurgical methods. The magnesium composites exhibited a substantially higher Young's modulus than unreinforced sintered magnesium. Since their discovery by Ijima in the early 1990s [1], carbon nanotubes (CNT) have been the subject of considerable research efforts to characterise and understand their remarkable mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. In particular, their high Young's moduli of up to 1.2 TPa make CNT the ultimate high-strength fibres for use as reinforcements in composite materials [2]. In recent years, the research has been focused on the development of nanotube reinforced polymer-based composites [3], and only a few studies have been concerned with the manufacture of nanotube-reinforced metal-matrix composites. This remains almost a virgin field [3-4].