Mechanical Behavior of Magnesium-Based Composites Reinforced with Carbon Nanotubes

Description

Magnesium has the inherent advantages of being a lightweight and high damping material. Magnesium and its composites are potential structural components materials for the automotive and robot sectors. However, magnesium exhibits limited tensile stiffness, strength, and ductility at room temperature due to its hexagonal close-packed structure. Such drawbacks can be overcome by adding a small volume content of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs). Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with extraordinary tensile stiffness, strength, and fracture strain are attractive reinforcing materials for magnesium. Accordingly, high performance CNT/Mg composites with high tensile stiffness, strength, and ductility show potential applications in industrial robot and automotive applications. The MWNT/ Mg composites will be prepared by the powder metallurgy technique. The morphology, tensile, and creep behaviour of such novel composites will be investigated. Basic studies will be conducted to reveal the mechanisms responsible for the simultaneous enhancement in tensile strength and ductility as well as creep strengthening of the magnesium composites reinforced with MWNTs.