Fabrication of a Compacted Aluminum-Carbon Nanofiber Material by Hot Pressing

The aluminum-carbon nanofiber compacted materials fabricated by hot pressing are studied. The carbon content and the compacting temperature are shown to affect the hardness of the aluminum-carbon nanofiber compacted composite material: the hardness increases from 30 to 57 HB when the carbon nanofiber concentration increases from 0 to 1.5 wt %. The chemical state of the composite components is studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Carbon nanofibers transform into an amorphous modification at a temperature of 980 degrees C, which corresponds to the decrease in the hardness. Aluminum carbide Al4C3 is found to form, and its content increases monotonically in the hot pressing temperature range from 720 to 1370 degrees C.