Processing of copper nanocomposites reinforce with carbon nanotubes via mechanical alloying

Typically, carbon nanotube composites fabricated by mechanical milling undergo considerable changes in morphology and size, impacting their final properties. However, in the present work, successful dispersion of carbon nanotubes was achieved without affecting the initial morphology of the Cu particles. To investigate this, multiple Cu-SWNT samples were fabricated with concentrations of 0.5 vol%, 1 vol%, and 3 vol% and characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-Ray Diffraction. The SEM analysis revealed a good dispersion of nanotubes in the copper matrix, forming a network of nanotubes interconnected with the copper particles. X-ray results indicated no phase change in the nanocomposite after milling, with only small oxide peaks associated with the large surface area of such small particles being observed. Additionally, the Vickers hardness (HV) of the samples remained unaffected by the addition of the nanotubes.