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Fig. 6 Tensile properties of pure nickel and Ni-GNP composites. (Color figure online)
Conclusion
1. Ni-CNT/ GNP nanocomposites have been processed via dry milling of nickel and
nickel-coated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs)/ graphene nanoplatelets
(GNPs) followed by consolidation using spark plasma sintering.
2. Ni-0.5CNT-DM composites exhibited 2.5 times higher yield strength than pure
nickel and about 18% elongation to failure.
3. Ni-0.5GNP composite with a ~186HV microhardness exhibited a yield strength
of ~ 461 MPa and ~18% elongation to failure. Ni-0.5GNP nanocomposites shown
more enhanced properties with as compared with Ni-0.5CNT nanocomposites,
despite the same amount of reinforcement. It can be attributed to the intrinsically
larger surface area of 2-D structured GNPs as compared with CNTs.
4. Ni-0.5 GNP composites exhibited the highest yield strength as compared to pure
nickel as well as other Ni-CNT and Ni-GNP composites, primarily due to the
better dispersion of GNP within the nickel matrix and strong interfacial bonding
between the reinforcement and nickel matrix.