Study of the microstructure of the aluminum-based composite material with the addition of carbon nanotubes after spark plasma sintering

Electron microscopy is used to study samples of an aluminum matrix composite material with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The features of microstructure changes occurring during the preparation of a composite in a spark plasma sintering (SPS) setup are identified. The results of the simulation of the SPS process are presented taking into account the high electro- and heat-conducting properties of MWCNTs, which qualitatively explain the differences in the sintering processes of pure aluminum and composite samples.