Hardness and tensile strength of carbon nanoparticle-lithium borate composites

Abstract

Carbon nanoparticle (CNP)-lithium borate glass composites are synthesised by melt-quenching technique to study the influence of CNPs addition on the mechanical properties of the primary glass. Three different glass composites are fabricated by varying the weight% of CNPs. The hardness and tensile strength are found to increase by 2.65 times the primary glass with the addition of 0.4 weight% of CNPs. The homogeneous dispersion and close-packing of nanoparticles achieved in the resultant glass matrix account for this improvement. The closed-packed structure reduces the free volume between molecules, thereby limiting their movement and enhancing interfacial bonding. The formation of such a cross-linked structure with the addition of CNPs is supported by density measurements, electron microscopy images, and glass transition temperature studies.

KEYWORDS:

• Carbon nanoparticles
• hardness
• tensile strength
• cross-links

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Director, Dr B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar for his kind support. They are also indebted to Dr R. S. Bharj, Associate Professor and Mr Rahul Samyal, Research Scholar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, NIT Jalandhar for their help in coordinating Vicker’s micro-indentation study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).