Jon Song Won, a researcher at the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology, prepared carbon nanotube reinforced aluminum composite for wire and cables core using carbon nanotubes.
Nowadays, carbon nanotubes, one of carbon nanomaterials, are widely used as reinforcement materials for various composites due to their superior properties.
Carbon nanotube reinforced aluminum composite wires for wire cables produced by new technology can improve mechanical and electrical properties including tensile strength, elongation, bending number and specific electrical resistance more than conventional aluminum wires, and production of wire cables using low purity aluminum is possible.
The preparation process of carbon nanotube reinforced aluminum composite core for wire cables consists of surface treatment of carbon nanotubes, dissolution of aluminum, addition and dispersion of carbon nanotubes, continuous casting and continuous rolling processes.
In order to examine the effect of carbon nanotubes on the texture and properties of carbon nanotube reinforced aluminum composites for wire cables, he performed a tensile test, a repeated bending test, a hardness test and a microstructure analysis.
He drew the following conclusions.
When the content of carbon nanotube is 0.3%, the tensile strength of carbon nanotube reinforced aluminum matrix composites is 250 MPa and the elongation ratio is 5%.
As the carbon nanotube content increases, the particle size of the composite decreases significantly and the shape turns spherical.
His method is more reasonable and economical than the previous methods as there is no need for new equipment for improving the properties of wire and cable cores.
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