Nanostructured Metal Composites Reinforced with Fullerenes

This work presents the results of the characterization of nanostructured Al or Fe matrix composites reinforced with fullerenes. The fullerene used is a mix of 15 wt.%C-60, 5 wt.%C-70, and 80 wt.% soot that is the product of the primary synthesis of C-60. The composites were produced by mechanical alloying and sintered by spark plasma sintering (SPS). It was found that in both composites, C-60 withstands mechanical alloying, and acts as a control agent, reducing the agglomeration of the particles. In both composite systems the as well as-mechanically alloyed powders as well as the SPS sintered products are nanostructured. During the SPS process the effect of the metal (Al or Fe) matrix with the fullerene is different for each composite. For instance, Al reacts with all the carbon in the fullerene mix and forms Al4C3; on the contrary in the Fe-fullerene composite, Fe sponsors the synthesis of C-60 during the SPS process. The synthesis of the C-60 is presumably assisted by the catalytic nature of Fe and the electric field generated during the SPS sintering process.