Fabrication of carbon nanofiber reinforced aluminum alloy nanocomposites by a liquid process

► Carbon nanofiber (CNF) reinforced A1050 Al alloy nanocomposites were successfully fabricated using a liquid process. ► The Cu coating on CNF and the feedstock made of CNF and Al powder were employed for uniform dispersion of CNFs in Al melt. ► Effects of the CNF concentration on the mechanical properties of CNF/Al nanocomposites were studied. Carbon nanofiber (CNF) reinforced aluminum alloy nanocomposites were fabricated by a liquid process. In order to enhance the wettability of Al on CNFs and the dispersion of CNFs in the Al melt, and suppress the formation of the brittle Al4C3 phase, Cu was coated on CNFs using electroless plating. CNFs were also vibration-milled to enhance the dispersion of the CNFs by reducing the aspect ratio of the CNFs. The Cu-coated CNFs could be easily accommodated into the Al melt by using button-shaped feedstocks that were made of CNFs and Al powder. The concentration of CNFs in the CNF/Al nanocomposites was varied from 0.065 to 0.58wt.%. Our results indicate that CNF/Al nanocomposites with significantly improved mechanical properties could be fabricated by a liquid process and that CNFs acted as an effective reinforcement material.