Events
Postgraduate Seminar Series
| Date: | Thursday 4 December 2008 14:00 - 16:00 |
| Location: | Nanoforce Seminar Room, Walter Besant Building |
Abstract 1:
Title: Ceramic – Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposites
Fawad Inam
Abstract: The increasing availability of nanopowders and nanotubes combined with new processing techniques is enabling the development of new materials. This will be illustrated by electrically conductive ceramic-carbon nanotube composites. The addition of relatively small amounts (<1 vol%) of Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes (MWNT) can convert an insulating ceramic into a good electrical conductor. These materials provide a new envelope of material properties. They offer the advantages of ceramics – high corrosion and wear resistance – combined with good electrical and thermal conductivites. There are two critical steps in their processing: dispersion of the MWNTs; and densification by sintering. To minimise any degradation of the MWNT, the composites are sintered by rapid, direct electrical heating (up to 600ºC) in a vacuum environment. Using this approach it is possible to densify composites at processing temperatures of >2000ºC without significant degradation of the MWNTs.
