High-current-induced damage on carbon nanotubes: The case during spark plasma sintering

The influence of high current on the structure and integration of carbon nanotubes during spark plasma sintering is discussed in this paper. Observation of the microstructure showed that most carbon nanotubes burn out or diffuse into alumina grains when composite powders directly contact the graphite plungers of the sintering die. This structural damage was largely avoided when two layers of insulating BN were used to block the high-density current.