In-situ homogeneous synthesis of carbon nanotubes on aluminum matrix and properties of their composites

Using nickel catalyst supported on aluminum powders, carbon nanotubes （CNTs） were successfully synthesized in aluminum powders by in-situ chemical vapor deposition at 650 ℃. Structural characterization revealed that the as-grown CNTs possessed higher graphitization degree and straight graphite shell. By this approach, more homogeneous dispersion of CNTs in aluminum powders was achieved compared with the traditional mechanical mixture methods. Using the in-situ synthesized CNTs/Al composite powders and powder metallurgy process, CNTs/Al bulk composites were prepared. Performance testing showed that the mechanical properties and dimensional stability of the composites were improved obviously, which was attributed to the superior dispersion of CNTs in aluminum matrix and the strong interfacial bonding between CNTs and matrix.

Corrosion damage evolution and mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced aluminum laminate

Fiber metal laminates(FMLs),a kind of lightweight material with excellent comprehensive performance,have been successfully applied in aerospace.FMLs reinforced with carbon fiber have better mechanical properties than those with glass or aramid fiber.However,carbon fiber binding metal may lead to galvanic corrosion which limits its application.In this paper,electrochemical methods,optical microscope and scanning electron microscope were used to analyze the corrosion evolution of carbon fiber reinforced aluminum laminate(CARALL)in corrosive environment and explore anti-corrosion ways to protect CARALL.The results show that the connection between carbon fiber and aluminum alloy changes electric potential,causing galvanic corrosion.The galvanic corrosion will obviously accelerate CARALL corroded in solution,leading to a 72.1%decrease in interlaminar shear strength,and the crevice corrosion has a greater impact on CARALL resulting in delamination.The reduction of interlaminar shear strength has a similar linear relationship with the corrosion time.In addition,the adhesive layers between carbon fiber and aluminum alloy cannot protect CARALL,while side edge protection can effectively slow down corrosion rate.Therefore,the exposed edges should be coated with anti-corrosion painting.CARALL has the potential to be used for aerospace components.

Preparation of ultrafine α-Al_2O_3 powders by catalytic sintering of ammonium aluminum carbonate hydroxide at low temperature

The precursor of ammonium aluminum carbonate hydroxide was synthesized by using aluminum sulfate（Al2（SO4）3） and ammonium carbonate（（NH4）2CO3）. The effects of α-Al2O3 seeds and mixture composed of α-Al2O3 and ammonium nitrate, as well as multiplex catalysts （AT） on phase transformation of alumina in sintering process were investigated respectively. The results show that the α-Al2O3 seeds and the mixture of α-Al2O3 and ammonium nitrate can lower the phase transformation temperature of α-Al2O3 to different extents while the particles obtained agglomerate heavily. AT has great potential synergistic effects on the phase transformation of alumina and reduces the phase transformation temperature of α-Al2O3 and the trends of necking-formation between particles. Therefore the dispersion of powder particles is improved significantly.

Analysis of Coating Microstructure of Hot-Dip Aluminum of Deformed Low-Carbon Steel Containing Rare Earth

The coating microstructure of hot-dip aluminum (HDA) of deformed low-carbon steel containing RE was analyzed by metallography microscopy, TEM and XRD, and the forming mechanism was also discussed. The results show that, the Fe_2Al_5 phase, on whose subcrystal boundaries, Al particles with the size of 7～30 μm existing on parallel linear are, grows a strong orientation. And the spread activation energy of Al is 155.22 kJ·mol -1. In addition, the effects of deformation on coating microstructure of hot-dip aluminum and the function of RE were preliminarily analyzed.

A QUANTUM CHEMISTRY STUDY ON THE SIZE-DEPENDENCE OF THE CHEMISORPTION OF AMMONIA AND CARBON MONOXIDE ON ALUMINUM CLUSTERS

The chemisorption intensities of NH_3 and CO on aluminum clusters A1_n(n=l-13) have been theoretically predicted by using CNDO/2 method and properly selecting the clusters' geometries.The results show that the chemisorptions of NH_3 and GO on Al_2,Al_6 and Al_12 are magically stable and thus are in good agreement with the experimental results.In addition,an electronic structure analysis is made to expound the nature of such a size effect.

Corrosion,mechanical and microstructural properties of aluminum 7075-carbon nanotube nanocomposites for robots in corrosive environments

The introduction of in-pipe robots for sewage cleaning provides researchers with new options for pipe inspection,such as leakage,crack,gas,and corrosion detection,which are standard applications common in the current industrial scenario.The question that is frequently overlooked in all these cases is the inherent resistance of the robots to corrosion.The mechanical,microstructural,and corrosion properties of aluminum 7075 incorporated with various weight percentages(0,0.5wt%,1wt%,and 1.5wt%)of carbon nanotubes(CNTs)are discussed.It is fabricated using a rotational ultrasonication with mechanical stirring(RUMS)-based casting method for improved corrosion resistance without compromising the mechanical properties of the robot.1wt%CNTs-aluminum nanocomposite shows good corrosion and mechanical properties,meeting the requirements imposed by the sewage environment of the robot.

Effect mechanism of aluminum occurrence and content on the induration characteristics of iron ore pellets

With the intensified depletion of high-grade iron ores,the increased aluminum content in iron ore concentrates has become unavoidable,which is detrimental to the pelletization process.Therefore,the effect mechanism of aluminum on pellet quality must be identified.In this study,the influence of aluminum occurrence and content on the induration of hematite(H)and magnetite(M)pellets was investigated through the addition of corresponding Al-containing additives,including alumina,alumogoethite,gibbsite,and kaolinite.Systematic mineralogical analysis,combined with the thermodynamic properties of different aluminum occurrences and the quantitative characterization of consolidation behaviors,were conducted to determine the related mechanism.The results showed that the alumina from various aluminum occurrences adversely affected the induration characteristics of pellets,especially at an aluminum content of more than 2.0wt%.The thermal decomposition of gibbsite and kaolinite tends to generate internal stress and fine cracks,which hinder the respective microcrystalline bonding and recrystallization between Fe2O3particles.The adverse effect on the induration characteristics of fired pellets with different aluminum occurrences can be relieved to varying degrees through the formation of liquid phase bonds between the hematite particles.Kaolinite is more beneficial to the induration process than the other three aluminum occurrences because of the formation of more liquid phase,which improves pellet consolidation.The research results can further provide insights into the effect of aluminum occurrence and content in iron ore concentrates on downstream processing and serve as a guide for the utilization of high-alumina iron ore concentrates in pelletization.

Fabrication of robust aluminum–carbon nanotube composites using ultrasonic assembly and rolling process

This study introduced a novel fabrication of aluminum–carbon nanotube(CNT) composites by employing bulk acoustic waves and accumulative roll bonding(ARB).In this method, CNT particles were aligned using ultrasonic standing wave in an aqueous media, and the arrayed particles were precipitated on the aluminum plate substrate.Then, the plates rolled on each other through the ARB process with four passes.Optical and scanning electron micrographs demonstrated the effective aligning of CNTs on the aluminum substrate with a negligible deviation of arrayed CNTs through the ARB process.The X-ray diffraction pattern of the developed composites showed no peaks for carbon and aluminum carbide.In addition, tensile tests showed that the longitudinal strength of the specimens processed with aligned CNTs was significantly greater than that of the specimens with common randomly dispersed particles.The proposed technique is beneficial for the fabrication of Al–CNT composites with directional mechanical strength.

Nanoconfinement effect of nanoporous carbon electrodes for ionic liquid-based aluminum metal anode

Rechargeable aluminum batteries(RABs),which use earth-abundant and high-volumetric-capacity metal anodes(8040 m Ah cm-3),have great potential as next-generation power sources because they use cheaper resources to deliver higher energies,compared to current lithium ion batteries.However,the mechanism of charge delivery in the newly developed,ionic liquid-based electrolytic system for RABs differs from that in conventional organic electrolytes.Thus,targeted research efforts are required to address the large overpotentials and cycling decay encountered in the ionic liquid-based electrolytic system.In this study,a nanoporous carbon(NPC)electrode with well-developed nanopores is used to develop a high-performance aluminum anode.The negatively charged nanopores can provide quenched dynamics of electrolyte molecules in the aluminum deposition process,resulting in an increased collision rate.The fast chemical equilibrium of anionic species induced by the facilitated anionic collisions leads to more favorable reduction reactions that form aluminum metals.The nanoconfinement effect causes separated nucleation and growth of aluminum nanoparticles in the multiple confined nanopores,leading to higher coulombic efficiencies and more stable cycling performance compared with macroporous carbon black and 2D stainless steel electrodes.

Industrial testing of property-modified prebaked carbon anode for aluminum electrolysis

Aiming at reducing energy and carbon consumption and enhancing current efficiency of aluminum electrolysis, a batch of property modified prebaked carbon anodes prepared in industrial production were applied to 160 kA prebaked anode aluminum electrolysis cells in a domestic aluminum company. The industrial statistical data show that, the property modified anodes can averagely reduce carbon consumption 11.6 kg per ton aluminum and energy consumption 106.1 kW·h, further more, enhance current efficiency 0.72%. The industrial testing results prove that this kind of new type of prebaked anodes has remarkable effect of saving energy, reducing carbon consumption and enhancing current efficiency of aluminum electrolysis.

Industrial preparation and performance testing of property-modified prebaked carbon anodes for aluminum electrolysis

On the base of filtering composite additives in laboratory, the industrial property-modified prebaked carbon anodes containing composite additives were prepared in factory. The performance tests show that this kind of anodes not only have the same excellent physical performance as common (contrasting) ones used in aluminum electrolysis production at the present time, but also have better chemical and electrochemical performance than that of the common ones. Furthermore, the industrial preparation of the property-modified prebaked anode lays the foundation of electrolysis test. It can be forecasted that property-modified anodes will have good behavior in aluminum electrolysis production.

COPOLYMERIZATION OF CARBON DIOXIDE AND CYCLOHEXENE OXIDE CATALYZED BY ALUMINUM PORPHYRIN-QUATERNARY AMMONIUM SALT IN THE PRESENCE OF BULKY LEWIS ACID

Chloro(5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-porphyrinato)-aluminum/tetraethylammonium bromide(Et4NBr)in combination with bulky Lewis acid was used for the copolymerization of CO_2 and cyclohexene oxide(CHO).Bulky Lewis acid having substituents at the ortho positions of the phenolate ligands,like methylaluminum bis(2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenolate), significantly shortened the induction period and raised the catalytic activity,the corresponding turnover frequency reached 44.9 h^(-1)in 9 h,which was 23.8% higher than th...

Synthesis and thermal stability of multiwall carbon nanotubes reinforced aluminum metal matrix composites

Multiwall carbon nanotubes（MWNTs） reinforced aluminum composites were synthesized by hot press sintering. The thermal stability of MWNTs in the composite was investigated by transmission electron microscopy（TEM）. The results show that the impurities drop from 2% to 0.11% after the MWNTs are soaked with 95%H2SO4 and 66%HNO4 acids in an ultrasonator and washed with distilled water. In hot pressed composites, MWNTs distribute between aluminum powders and do not react with aluminum. When the composite was held at 800℃ for 1h, MWNTs react with aluminum and form Al4C3 phase, which are small polygons and distribute in the aluminum grains. Although Al4C3 phase still forms when the composite was held at 1000℃ for 1h, its morphology changes to a continuous band and distributes along the origin aluminum powder boundaries. So MWNTs are unstable in aluminum matrix composites that are kept above the liquidus temperature of aluminum.

3D printed aluminum matrix composites with well-defined ordered structures of shear-induced aligned carbon fibers

Carbon fiber reinforced aluminum composites with ordered architectures of shear-induced aligned carbon fibers were fabricated by 3D printing.The microstructures of the printed and sintered samples and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated.Carbon fibers and aluminum powder were bonded together with resin.The spatial arrangement of the carbon fibers was fixed in the aluminum matrix by shear-induced alignment in the3D printing process.As a result,the elongation of the composites with a parallel arrangement of aligned fibers and the impact toughness of the composites with an orthogonal arrangement were 0.82%and 0.41 J/cm^(2),respectively,about 0.4 and 0.8 times higher than that of the random arrangement.

Synthesis and Characterization of Aluminum/Carbon Nanotubes Composites： Study of Interfacial Interaction

Abstract： In this work, the authors present a study of growth and characterization of composite based on AI and CNT （carbon nanotubes. The composites were prepared by a chemical mixing method and characterized by SEM analysis, energy dispersed X-ray measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and cathodoluminescence spectroscopy. The analysis showed that the composites are formed by macro-cluster of aluminum oxide on a network of CNT without formation of chemical bonds at interface between particles. The results are compared with those obtained for a sample of CNT with AI traces （〈 0.5%）. They show that only the presence of metal traces changes the nanotubes optical properties, with a luminescence signal centered at about 380 nm. These luminescence signals are caused by the adhesion between CNT and AI micro-clusters that promote the formation of band gap with some local energy levels.

Self-lubricated Array Film of Amorphous Carbon Nanorods on an Aluminum Substrate

A self-lubricated array film of amorphous carbon nanorods was prepared by chemical catalytic pyrolysis of acetylene on the anodic aluminum oxide membrane fabricated by two-step anodization of aluminum. The tribological properties of the array film of amorphous carbon nanorods in ambient air were investigated using a ball-on-disk tester at applied loads range from 245 mN to 1960 mN at a sliding velocity of 0.2 m/s. The self-lubricated array film exhibited a small value of the friction coefficient as well as good wear resistance. The friction coefficient of array film of amorphous carbon nanorods decreased gradually with increasing the applied load. The approach proposed demonstrated a new efficient route towards enhanced the friction and wear performances of aluminum.

Formation and characterization of self-lubricated carbide layer on AA6082 Al-Mg-Si aluminum alloy by electrical discharge alloying process

The surface modification on the AA6082 Al?Mg?Si aging-hardenable aluminum alloy was investigated by electricaldischarge alloying (EDA) process. Kerosene, used as a dielectric fluid, was pyrolytically decomposed into carbon for the formationof a self-lubricated carbide layer on the aluminum alloy surface during EDA process. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)image found that the self-lubricated carbide layer was a multi-phase material with carbides and graphite. As a result, theEDA-modified aluminum alloy had a negligible wear rate of ~2?10?4 mg/m (c. f. ~1.1?10?2 mg/m for aluminum alloy substrate).Notably, a new characteristic was found that the EDA-processed carbide layer was a soft magnet, which improved theelectromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance of the alloy.

Preparation of Nano-Alumina with Aluminum Scraps as Raw Materials

Ammonium aluminum carbonate hydroxide (AACH) was synthesized by the reaction of ammonium aluminum sulphate (AA) with ammonium hydrogen carbonate (AHC). AA was obtained by the reaction of NH4HSO4 with aluminum scraps as the raw materials. According to this method, AACH samples prepared were used to fabricate nano alumina powders by thermal decomposition. The microstructural properties of as-formed alumina were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), special surface analysis and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Experimental observations revealed that highly pure (99.99%) α-alumina with mean diameter of 49 nm could be obtained.

Fabrication and mechanical properties of MWCNTs-reinforced aluminum composites by hot extrusion

Over the past decade,the interest in aluminum composites reinforced with carbon nanotubes has grown significantly.Studies have been carried out to overcome problems with uniform dispersion,interfacial bonding,void formation and carbide formation of the composites.In the present work,multi-wall carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs) aluminum composites were produced.High-energy ball milling with the aim at developing well-dispersed MWCNTs Al composites was followed by cold compaction,sintering,and hot extrusion at 500 ℃.Different amounts of stearic acid as processing control agent(PCA) is used in order to minimize cold welding of the Al particles,and to produce finer particles.Differential scanning calorimetry(DSC),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),and X-ray diffraction(XRD) were employed to analyze the MWCNTs,the aluminum powder,and the composites’ microstructural behavior.The hardness and tensile properties of the composites are also evaluated.The results showed 500% increase in yield stress after the addition of 1 wt% MWCNTs in Al-MWCNTs based composite.The ball-milling time of 4 h is found to be sufficient as excessive milling time destroys a vast number of MWCNTs.

Effects of welding parameters and tool geometry on properties of 3003-H18 aluminum alloy to mild steel friction stir weld

Defect-free butt joints of 3003 Al alloy to mild steel plates with 3 mm thickness were performed using friction stir welding （FSW）. A heat input model reported for similar FSW was simplified and used to investigate the effects of welding speed, rotation speed and tool shoulder diameter on the microstructure and properties of dissimilar welds. The comparison between microstructure, intermetallics and strength of welds shows the good conformity between the results and the calculated heat input factor （HIF） achieved from the model. The joint strength is controlled by Al/Fe interface at HIF of 0.2-0.4, by TMAZ at HIF of 0.4-0.8 and by intermetallics and/or defects at HIF0.8.