Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Carbon Nanohorns Reinforced Aluminum Composites Prepared by Ball Milling and Spark Plasma Sintering

Commercial purity aluminum was reinforced with different percentages of carbon nanohorns (CNH) using ball milling (1 h) followed by spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 550 °C for 5 min under 50 MPa pressure with heating rate 100 °C/min. The microstructure, hardness and compression properties of the spark-plasma-sintered carbon-nanohorns-reinforced aluminum (Al-CNH) composites were evaluated. Transmission electron microscopy revealed a uniform distribution of 0.3% CNH in Al, but above 0.3% CNH, agglomeration occurred. The compression strength of Al-0.3%CNH composites increased by 44% compared to the milled Al sample without CNH.