Adding carbon nanotubes and integrating with AA5052 aluminium alloy core to simultaneously enhance stiffness, strength and failure strain of AZ31 magnesium alloy

New bimetal AZ31-CNT/AA5052 macrocomposite comprising: (a) carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced magnesium alloy AZ31 shell and (b) aluminium alloy AA5052 millimeter-scale core reinforcement was fabricated using solidification processing followed by hot coextrusion. Microstructural characterisation revealed more rounded intermetallic particle of decreased size, reasonable CNT distribution, and dominant (1 0 −1 1) texture in the longitudinal and transverse directions in the AZ31-CNT nanocomposite shell. Interdiffusion of Mg and Al across the core-shell macrointerface into each other was also significant. Compared to monolithic AZ31, the AZ31-CNT shell had significantly higher hardness (+30%). In tension, the presence of CNT (in the AZ31 shell) and AA5052 core significantly increased stiffness (+39%), ultimate strength (+13%), failure strain (+17%) and work of fracture (+27%) of AZ31, while yield strength (−2%) was marginally decreased. In compression, the presence of CNT (in the AZ31 shell) and AA5052 core significantly increased yield strength (+35%), failure strain (+42%) and work of fracture (+70%) of AZ31, while ultimate strength (+1%) was marginally increased. The effect of joint presence of: (a) CNT (in the AZ31 shell) and (b) AA5052 millimeter-scale core on tensile and compressive properties of AZ31 is investigated in this paper.