Surfactant Assisted Dispersion and Adhesion Behavior of Carbon Nanotubes on Cu–Zr and Cu–Zr–Al Amorphous Powders

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were dispersed in gas atomized Cu47.5Zr47.5Al5 (CZA) and Cu50Zr50 (CZ) amorphous powders, in an effort to elucidate the mechanisms of adhesion of CNTs onto amorphous metallic powders. CNTs were homogenously dispersed in water using a zwitterionic (ZW) surfactant. Then CZA and CZ powders were submersed in the ZW-CNT suspensions with varying amounts of dwell time in an ultrasonic bath. The ZW-CNT-metal powder suspensions were dried, and CNT-metal composite powders were obtained after decomposition of the surfactant by calcination. Zeta potential measurements on ZW-CNT-metal powder suspensions and scanning electron microscopy investigation into the CNT-metal composite powders both indicated an ideal dwell time, for a specific alloy composition, of metallic powders in ZW-CNT suspension to achieve optimal adhesion of CNTs onto amorphous metallic powder surfaces. The results are rationalized on the basis of hydrolysis of metal ions into suspension creating a net positive charge on the metallic powder surfaces, and the interaction between the charged powder surfaces and the charged hydrophilic head groups of ZW, which has the other end attached to CNTs.