3-D micro-ceramic components from hydrothermally processed carbon nanotube-boehmite powders by electrophoretic deposition

摘要

Boehmite/multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite powders were prepared by hydrothermal processing. Starting chemical of aluminum acetate powders (2Al(OH)(C_2H_3O_2)_2) and MWCNTs were mixed for the formation of stoichiometric boehmite powders in an attempt to synthesize MWCNT-reinforced boehmite nano-powders via hydrothermal synthesis at 200 °C for 2 h. Kinetically stable suspensions of MWCNT-boehmite composite powders were prepared and subsequently electrophoretic deposition (EPD) was applied to obtain complex shape products in the form of micro-gears. It is shown that the EPD technique is a powerful tool to manufacture small components in a short time. Detail TEM observations also indicated that hydrothermal processing provides an ideal environment to obtain homogeneous mixtures of MWCNT-boehmite powders due to effective surface functionalization of MWCNTs under hydrothermal conditions.