Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Sintering and tribomechanical properties of gel-combustion-derived nano-alumina and its composites with carbon nanotubes

  • Composites
  • Published:
Journal of Materials Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Fully pure nano-α-alumina (Al2O3) was prepared following gel-combustion method. Near theoretically dense monolithic Al2O3 and its composites reinforced with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were prepared using spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 1500 °C under 40 MPa within 10 min. The shrinkage curves were guided in sequence by the crystallization of the amorphous mass followed by a solid-state sintering. The differential nature of electrical conductivity of both composite phases resulted in enhanced densification through localized joule heating. Formation of ~ 1-μm-sized equiaxed matrix grains with uniform distribution of structurally survived CNTs in it was observed in the sintered composites. Within the investigated loading span, the highest Vickers hardness (HV) values were obtained only at 0.5 wt% MWCNT loading in matrix Al2O3. Improvements in HV values for the composites at 0.2 and 2 kgf indentation loads were found to be ~ 18 and ~ 12%, respectively, in comparison with those obtained for pure matrix phase. Quantitative indentation size effect analyzed through standard mathematical models indicated the role of matrix grain refinement and proper matrix–filler load sharing in changing the true hardness. On the contrary, increased CNT concentration leaded to increased sensitivity toward size effect due to the extreme flexible nature of the filler. Unlubricated linear scratch experiments revealed ~ 30–45% lower specific wear rate (WR) values of the composite specimens compared to SPS-processed monolithic Al2O3. Microstructure and scar profile observations were utilized to describe such enhanced wear resistance of present composites.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Milak PC, Minatto FD, De Noni G Jr., Montedo ORK (2015) Wear performance of alumina-based ceramics—a review of the influence of microstructure on erosive wear. Cerâmica 61:88–103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Al-Sanabani FA, Madfa AA, Al-Qudaimi NH (2014) Alumina ceramic for dental applications: a review article. Am J Mater Res 1:26–34

    Google Scholar 

  3. Silva MV, Stainer D, Al-Qureshi HA, Montedo ORK, Hotza D (2014) Alumina-based ceramics for armor application: mechanical, characterization and ballistic testing. J Ceram 2014:618154

    Google Scholar 

  4. da Costa Evangelista JP, Gondim AD, Di Souza L, Araujo AS (2016) Alumina-supported potassium compounds as heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel production: a review. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 59:887–894

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Munro RG (1997) Evaluated material properties for a sintered α-alumina. J Am Ceram Soc 80:1919–1928

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Galusek D, Galusková D (2015) Alumina matrix composites with non-oxide nanoparticle addition and enhanced functionalities. Nanomaterials 5:115–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Bocanegra-Bernal MH, Dominguez-Rios C, Echeberria J, Reyes-Rojas A, Garcia-Reyes A, Aguilar-Elguezabal A (2016) Spark plasma sintering of multi-, single/double-and single-walled carbon nanotube-reinforced alumina composites: is it justifiable the effort to reinforce them? Ceram Int 42:2054–2062

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Ahmad K, Pan W (2015) Microstructure-toughening relation in alumina based multiwall carbonnanotube ceramic composites. J Eur Ceram Soc 35:663–671

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Yazdani B, Xia Y, Ahmad I, Zhu Y (2015) Graphene and carbon nanotube (GNT)-reinforced alumina nanocomposites. J Eur Ceram Soc 35:179–186

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Yazdani B, Xu F, Ahmad I, Hou X, Xia Y, Zhu Y (2015) Tribological performance of graphene/carbon nanotube hybrid reinforced Al2O3 composites. Sci Rep 5:11579

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Gallardo-López A, Poyato R, Morales-Rodríguez A, Fernández-Serrano A, Munoz A, Domı´nguez-Rodríguez A (2014) Hardness and flexural strength of single-walled carbon, nanotube/alumina composites. J Mater Sci 49:7116–7123. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-014-8419-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Sarkar S, Das PK (2012) Microstructure and physicomechanical properties of pressureless sintered multiwalled carbon nanotube/alumina nanocomposites. Ceram Int 38:423–432

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. An J-W, You D-H, Lim D-S (2003) Tribological properties of hot-pressed alumina–CNT composites. Wear 255:677–681

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Lim D-S, You D-H, Choi H-J, Lim S-H, Jang H (2005) Effect of CNT distribution on tribological behavior of alumina–CNT composites. Wear 259:539–544

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Kim SW, Chung WS, Sohn K-S, Son C-Y, Lee S (2010) Improvement of wear resistance in alumina matrix composites reinforced with carbon nanotubes. Metall Mater Trans A 41A:380–388

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Halder R, Bandyopadhyay S (2017) Synthesis and optical properties of anion deficient nano MgO. J Alloys Compd 693:534–542

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Aliev AE, Lima MH, Silverman EM, Baughman RH (2010) Thermal conductivity of multi-walled carbon nanotube sheets: radiation losses and quenching of phonon modes. Nanotechnology 21:035709

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Kajiura H, Tsutsui S, Huang H, Murakami Y (2002) High-quality single-walled carbon nanotubes from arc-produced soot. Chem Phys Lett 364:586–592

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Suzuki T, Inoue S, Ando Y (2008) Purification of single-wall carbon nanotubes by using high-pressure micro reactor. Diam Relat Mater 17:1596–1599

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Bertoncini M, Coelho LAF, Maciel IO, Pezzin SH (2011) Purification of single-wall carbon nanotubes by heat treatment and supercritical extraction. Mater Res 14:380–383

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Sarkar S, Das PK (2013) Thermal and structural stability of single- and multi-walled carbon nanotubes up to 1800 °C in Argon studied by Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron Microscopy. Mater Res Bull 48:41–47

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Hanzel O, Sedlácek J, Sajgalík P (2014) New approach for distribution of carbon nanotubes in alumina matrix. J Eur Ceram Soc 34:1845–1851

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Ando Y, Zhao X, Shimoyama H, Sakai G, Kaneto K (1999) Physical properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Int J Inorganic Mater 1:77–82

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. McEuen PL, Fuhrer MS, Park H (2002) Single-walled carbon nanotube electronics. IEEE Trans Nanotechnol 1:78–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Huang Q, Jiang D, Ovidko IA, Mukherjee A (2010) High-current-induced damage on carbon nanotubes: the case during spark plasma sintering. Scripta Mater 63:1181–1184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Yamamoto G, Omori M, Yokomizo K, Hashida T (2008) Mechanical properties and structural characterization of carbon nanotube/alumina composites prepared by precursor method. Diam Relat Mater 17:1554–1557

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Bi S, Hou G, Su X, Zhang Y, Guo F (2011) Mechanical properties and oxidation resistance of α-alumina/multi-walled carbon nanotube composite ceramics. Mater Sci Eng, A 528:1596–1601

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Bi S, Su X, Hou G, Liu C, Song W-L, Cao M-S (2013) Electrical conductivity and microwave absorption of shortened multi-walled carbon nanotube/alumina ceramic composites. Ceram Int 39:5979–5983

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Kasperski A, Weibel A, Estournès C, Laurent Ch, Peigney A (2013) Preparation-microstructure-property relationships in double-walled carbon nanotubes/alumina composites. Carbon 53:62–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Michálek M, Sedláček J, Parchoviansky M, Michálková M, Galusek D (2014) Mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of alumina/MWCNT and alumina/zirconia/MWCNT composites. Ceram Int 40:1289–1295

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Bakhsh N, Khalid FA, Hakeem AS (2013) Synthesis and characterization of pressureless sintered carbon nanotube reinforced alumina nanocomposites. Mater Sci Eng, A 578:422–429

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Puchy V, Hvizdos P, Dusza J, Kovac F, Inam F, Reece MJ (2013) Wear resistance of Al2O3–CNT ceramic nanocomposites at room and high temperatures. Ceram Int 39:5821–5826

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Thomson KE, Jiang D, Yao W, Ritchie RO, Mukherjee AK (2012) Characterization and mechanical testing of alumina-based nanocomposites reinforced with niobium and/or carbon nanotubes fabricated by spark plasma sintering. Acta Mater 60:622–632

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Zhang SC, Fahrenholtz WG, Hilmas GE, Yadlowsky EJ (2010) Pressureless sintering of carbon nanotube–Al2O3 composites. J Eur Ceram Soc 30:1373–1380

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Jiang D, Thomson K, Kuntz JD, Ager JW, Mukherjee AK (2007) Effect of sintering temperature on a single-wall carbon nanotube-toughened alumina-based nanocomposite. Scripta Mater 56:959–962

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Echeberria J, Rodríguez N, Vleugels J, Vanmeensel K, Reyes-Rojas A, Garcia-Reyes A, Domínguez-Rios C, Aguilar-Elguézabal A, Bocanegra-Bernal MH (2012) Hard and tough carbon nanotube-reinforced zirconia-toughened alumina composites prepared by spark plasma sintering. Carbon 50:706–717

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Ahmad I, Unwin M, Cao H, Chen H, Zhao H, Kennedy A, Zhu YQ (2010) Multi-walled carbon nanotubes reinforced Al2O3 nanocomposites: mechanical properties and interfacial investigations. Compos Sci Technol 70:1199–1206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Aguilar-Elguézabal A, Bocanegra-Bernal MH (2014) Fracture behaviour of α-Al2O3 ceramics reinforced with a mixture of single-wall and multi-wall carbon nanotubes. Compos Part B 60:463–470

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Li H, Bradt RC (1993) The microhardness indentation load/size effect in rutile and cassiterite single crystals. J Mater Sci 28:917–926. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00400874

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Gong J, Wu J, Guan Z (1999) Examination of the indentation size effect in low-load vickers hardness testing of ceramics. J Eur Ceram Soc 19:2625–2631

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The first author conveys sincere thanks to CSIR for Research Associate position. Helps from the institutional characterization units are gratefully acknowledged. Thanks are due to the Director of CSIR-Central Glass & Ceramic Research Institute, for his interest.

Funding

This study was funded by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India (Grant Number: MLP-0202).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIR- Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, 196, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Kolkata, 700 032, India

    Rupa Halder, Soumya Sarkar & Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay

  2. Metallurgical and Material Engineering, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700032, India

    Pravash C. Chakraborti

Authors
  1. Rupa Halder
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Soumya Sarkar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Pravash C. Chakraborti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay.

Ethics declarations

Conflicts of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest related to this work.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Halder, R., Sarkar, S., Bandyopadhyay, S. et al. Sintering and tribomechanical properties of gel-combustion-derived nano-alumina and its composites with carbon nanotubes. J Mater Sci 53, 8989–9001 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-018-2187-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-018-2187-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation