Mechanical properties and friction behaviors of CNT/AlSi10Mg composites produced by spark plasma sintering

The mechanical properties and friction behaviors of CNT/AlSi10Mg composites produced by spark plasma sintering (SPS) were investigated. The results showed that the densities of the sintered composites gradually increased with increasing sintering temperature and that the highest microhardness and compressive strength were achieved in the specimen sintered at 450°C. CNTs dispersed uniformly in the Al-Si10Mg matrix when the addition of CNTs was less than 1.5wt%. However, when the addition of CNTs exceeded 1.5wt%, the aggregation of CNTs was clearly observed. Moreover, the mechanical properties (including the densities, compressive strength, and microhardness) of the composites changed with CNT content and reached a maximum value when the CNT content was 1.5wt%. Meanwhile, the minimum average friction coefficient and wear rate of the CNT/AlSi10Mg composites were obtained with 1.0wt% CNTs.