Mechanical, electrical, and thermal expansion properties of carbon nanotube-based silver and silver-palladium alloy composites

Abstract

The mechanical, electrical, and thermal expansion properties of carbon nanotube (CNT)-based silver and silver-palladium (10:1, w/w) alloy nanocomposites are reported. To tailor the properties of silver, CNTs were incorporated into a silver matrix by a modified molecular level-mixing process. CNTs interact weakly with silver because of their non-reactive nature and lack of mutual solubility. Therefore, palladium was utilized as an alloying element to improve interfacial adhesion. Comparative microstructural characterizations and property evaluations of the nanocomposites were performed. The structural characterizations revealed that decorated type-CNTs were dispersed, embedded, and anchored into the silver matrix. The experimental results indicated that the modification of the silver and silver-palladium nanocomposite with CNT resulted in increases in the hardness and Young’s modulus along with concomitant decreases in the electrical conductivity and the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). The hardness and Young’s modulus of the nanocomposites were increased by 30%–40% whereas the CTE was decreased to 50%–60% of the CTE of silver. The significantly improved CTE and the mechanical properties of the CNT-reinforced silver and silver-palladium nanocomposites are correlated with the intriguing properties of CNTs and with good interfacial adhesion between the CNTs and silver as a result of the fabrication process and the contact action of palladium as an alloying element.

Keywords

metal matrix composites / carbon nanotubes / mechanical properties / coefficient of thermal expansion / electrical conductivity

References

[1] Śleziona J, Wieczorek J, Dyzia M. Mechanical properties of silver matrix composites reinforced with ceramic particles. J. Achiev. Mater. Manufact. Eng., 2006, 17(1–2): 165

[2] Wang CF, Yi F, Zhang XJ. Physical properties of short carbon fibre reinforced silver composites. Acta. Metall. Sin., 1994, 7(3): 157

[3] Terrones M. Carbon nanotubes: synthesis and properties, electronic devices and other emerging applications. Int. Mater. Rev., 2004, 49(6): 325.

[4] Broza G. Synthesis, properties, functionalisation and applications of carbon nanotubes: a state of the art review. Chem. Chem. Technol., 2010, 4(1): 35

[5] Bakshi SR, Lahiri D, Agarwal A. Carbon nanotube reinforced metal matrix composites: a review. Int. Mater. Rev., 2010, 55(1): 41.

[6] Cha SI, Kim KT, Arshad SN, Mo CB, Hong SH. Extraordinary strengthening effect of carbon nanotubes in metal-matrix nanocomposites processed by molecular-level mixing. Adv. Mater., 2005, 17(11): 1377.

[7] Javey A, Guo J, Wang Q, Lundstrom M, Dai HJ. Ballistic carbon nanotube field-effect transistors. Nature, 2003, 424, 654.

[8] Pal H, Sharma V, Kumar R, Thakur N. Facile synthesis and electrical conductivity of carbon nanotube reinforced nanosilver composite. Z. Naturforsch. A, 2012, 67a(12): 679.

[9] V.T. Pham, H.T. Bui, B.T. Tran, V.T. Nguyen, D.Q. Le, X.T. Than, V.C. Ngu, V.C. Nguyen, D.P. Doan, and N. M. Phan, The effect of sintering temperature on the mechanical properties of a Cu/CNT nanocomposite prepared via a powder metallurgy method, Adv. Nat Sci. Nanosci. Nanotechnol., 2(2011), art. No. 015006

[10] Oliver WC, Pharr GM. An improved technique for determining hardness and elastic modulus using load and displacement sensing indentation experiments. J. Mater. Res., 1992, 7(6): 1564.

[11] H.Q. Li, A. Misra, Z. Horita, C.C. Koch, N.A. Mara, P.O. Dickerson, and Y.T. Zhu, Strong and ductile nanostructured Cu-carbon nanotube composite, Appl. Phys. Lett., 95(2009), art. No. 071907.

[12] Kim KT, Cha SI, Hong SH. Hardness and wear resistance of carbon nanotube reinforced Cu matrix nanocomposites. Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2007, 449–451, 46.

[13] Chu K, Jia CC, Li WS, Wang P. Mechanical and electrical properties of carbon-nanotube-reinforced Cu-Ti alloy matrix composites. Phys. Status Solidi A, 2013, 210, 594.

[14] Daoush WM, Lim BK, Mo CB, Nam DH, Hong SH. Electrical and mechanical properties of carbon nanotube reinforced copper nanocomposites fabricated by electroless deposition process. Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2009, 513–514, 247.

[15] Feng Y, Yuan HL, Zhang M. Fabrication and properties of silver-matrix composites reinforced by carbon nanotubes. Mater. Charact., 2005, 55, 211.

[16] Uddin SM, Mahmud T, Wolf C, Glanz C, Kolaric I, Volkmer C, Höller H, Wienecke U, Roth S, Fecht HJ. Effect of size and shape of metal particles to improve hardness and electrical properties of carbon nanotube reinforced copper and copper alloy composites. Compos. Sci. Technol., 2010, 70, 2253.

[17] Liu ZY, Xiao BL, Wang WG, Ma ZY. Elevated temperature tensile properties and thermal expansion of CNT/2009Al composites. Comps. Sci. Technol., 2012, 72(15): 1826.

[18] Tang YB, Cong HT, Zhong R, Cheng HM. Thermal expansion of a composite of single-walled carbon nanotubes and nanocrystalline aluminum. Carbon, 2004, 42, 3260.

[19] Deng CF, Ma YX, Zhang P, Zhang XX, Wang DZ. Thermal expansion behaviors of aluminum composite reinforced with carbon nanotubes. Mater. Lett., 2008, 62, 2301.