Synthesis of Ni-Cu-CNF Composite Materials via Carbon Erosion of Ni-Cu Bulk Alloys Prepared by Mechanochemical Alloying

Abstract

The unique physical and chemical properties of composite materials based on carbon nanofibers (CNFs) makes them attractive to scientists and manufacturers. One promising method to produce CNFs is catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD). In the present work, a method based on carbon erosion (CE) of bulk microdispersed Ni-Cu alloys has been proposed to prepare efficient catalysts for the synthesis of CNF-based composites. The initial Ni-Cu alloys were obtained by mechanochemical alloying (MCA) of metallic powders in a planetary mill. The effect of MCA duration on the phase composition of Ni-Cu samples was studied by X-ray diffraction analysis and temperature-programmed reduction in hydrogen. It has been also revealed that, during such stages as heating, reduction, and short-term exposure to the reaction mixture (C2H4/H2/Ar) at 550 °C, the formation of a Ni-based solid solution from the initial Ni-Cu alloys takes place. The early stages of the CE process were monitored by transmission electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive X-Ray analysis. It was found that the composition of the catalytic particles is identical to that of the initial alloy. The morphological and structural features of the prepared Ni-Cu-CNF composites were studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopies. The textural characteristics of the composites were found to be dependent on the reaction time.

Characterization and Optimization of Cu-Al2O3 Nanocomposites Synthesized via High Energy Planetary Milling: A Morphological and Structural Study

“…In particular, the production of metal matrix nanocomposites has gained significant attention due to their unique mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. Copper-based nanocomposites have been studied extensively due to the high thermal and electrical conductivity of copper [1][2][3][4], as well as its low cost and availability [5,6]. The incorporation of ceramic nanoparticles, such as alumina, into the copper matrix can improve the mechanical properties [7,8], such as hardness and wear resistance, without compromising the electrical and thermal conductivity [9][10][11].…”