| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T21: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
Ceramic Matrix Composites
|
| Presentation Title |
Effectiveness of Mechanical Reinforcement of Carbon Nanotubes on Boron Carbide Through In-situ High Loading Indentation |
| Author(s) |
Tyler Dolmetsch, Benjamin Boesl, Arvind Agarwal, Cheng Zhang |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Tyler Dolmetsch |
| Abstract Scope |
In this study, the effectiveness of the addition of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the mechanical reinforcement of boron carbide (B4C) composites synthesized by spark plasma sintering (SPS) was determined. CNTs of 2% and 4% weight fraction were homogenously dispersed into B4C powder and sintered via SPS. Samples were then subjected to high loading indentation using a Vickers indenter tip and load of 300 N. The energy dissipation and relative fracture toughness of the composites were calculated through load-displacement graphs. The total projected area of residual damage due to crack propagation was determined through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In-situ high loading indentation inside the SEM was conducted and provided real time visualization of crack propagation and bridging, while also allowing for precise estimation of localized stresses required for nanotube pullout and failure mechanisms. Effectiveness of mechanical reinforcement was determined through comparison with a pure B4C sample. |