A Brief Method for the Synthesis and Characterization of a Hybrid Material Based on Carbon Nanotubes and Alumina

Abstract

This research is presented in the area of composite materials; whose matrix is alumina with carbon nanotubes. The synthesis of CNT-based materials in alumina is driven by the exceptional chemical and mechanical properties of both materials. For this proposal, critical aspects such as the processing technique, the interfacial mechanisms between the Al2O3matrix and CNTs were revised, without losing the focus on the application of this composite in the structural area and determining the strengthening of the matrix due to the presence of reinforcements. This study deals with the synthesis and characterization of a hybrid material based on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and alumina. A simple and efficient methodology is proposed, in which the composite material CNTs/alumina is prepared from the combination of nanofilaments with an aluminum-rich material. Characterization by MET gave evidence of typical carbon nanotube structures supported on aluminous material. Furthermore, MEB-EDS analysis of hybrid composite material confirmed the presence of carbon nanofilaments embedded in the alumina matrix. This study as an initial phase of the research allowed to identify a simple and novel methodology that will be extended in characterization and determination of structural relationships with processing parameters, and it is considering to perform multiscale modeling to know the mechanisms inherent in the compatibility between the matrix and nanofilaments, and thus the phenomenon of reinforcement