Correlation Between Microstructural Architecture and Mechanical Behavior of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube-Aluminum Composites

Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT)-aluminum (Al) composites with three distinct microstructural architectures (nanolaminated structure with relatively weak interfacial bonding, partial laminated structure with strong interfacial bonding, and disordered microstructure) were fabricated. Tensile test revealed that partial laminated composite possessed the highest yield and tensile strengths with an almost identical uniform elongation among the three composites, which were rationalized by grain refinement of Al matrix, effective load-sharing of SWCNTs, and enhanced interface-dislocation interactions in partial laminated composite.