Microstructural and mechanical studies of multi-walled CNTs/Mg composite fabricated through FSP

Abstract

Flourishing trend of aerospace and automobile applications endlessly demand for significantly higher encouraging performance lightweight materials. Potentially Magnesium got limelight for having lightweight physical property and thus has great potential to energize mechanical property by making its composites. Therefore, magnesium composite was fabricated by incorporating multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as reinforcement into magnesium matrix at volume percentages 10, 20 and 30, respectively through friction stir processing (FSP). Furthermore, the effect of MWCNTs was investigated and validated through various characterizations. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) investigation ensured the existence of parent phases of materials. The mechanical properties of MWCNT/Mg composites such as tensile strength and micro hardness were investigated and found optimum results at 20 vol% MWCNTs. The optimum upsurge in tensile strength attained was twice relative to pure magnesium. Moreover, the wear test was conducted to analyse the wear behaviour. Since the grain growth was obstructed by MWCNTs reinforcement and encouraged to enrich grain refinement, thus the wear resistance was improved. However, the mechanical properties deteriorated beyond 20% due to clustering of reinforcement revealed from fracture study.