A new wet process has been developed to synthesize a Copper-Single Wall Carbon NanoTube (Cu-SWCNT) metal nanocomposite by dispersing SWCNTs into molten copper, followed by rapid and non-equilibrium solidification to form the Cu-SWCNT nanocomposite such that dispersed SWCNTs could locked in positions without agglomerating into large clusters. However, the nanometer sizes of the SWCNT clusters make it extremely difficult to obtain TEM images with discernable SWCNT clusters in the copper matrix. In this paper, TEM images and their diffraction patterns for annealed pure copper, quenched pure copper (by the same synthesis process without introducing SWCNTs), and Cu-SWCNT nanocomposite are compared. It is concluded that TEM images with discernable SWCNT clusters are rare. Therefore, diffraction patterns are better tools to identify SWCNTs within the copper matrix. The indexed diffraction patterns confirm that the copper fcc lattice is preserved. However, the Cu-SWCNT nanocomposite samples also exhibit ordered diffuse scattering, consisting of at least two polyhedra of diffuse-scattering bounded by the {110}* and {200}* family of reciprocal lattice planes, respectively. In addition several samples exhibit super-lattice Bragg diffraction indicative expanded unit cells. It thus appears that the SWCNTs are incorporated into the Cu matrix with precise arrangements commensurate with specific Cu lattice planes.

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In our previous studies, we have developed a wet process, denoted as laser surface implanting (LSI), to synthesize a copper/single-walled carbon nanotube (Cu–SWCNT) metal nanocomposite. The nanostructure of this Cu–SWCNT composite was shown to contain discernable SWCNT clusters in nanosizes inside the copper matrix. Its hardness could achieve up to three times that of pure copper, verified by micro-hardness and nano-hardness tests. A focus ion beam bombardment test and a plane strain compression test show 2.5 times toughness improvement for the Cu-SWCNT composite. Based on these strength improvements, two potential applications for the Cu-SWCNT nanocomposite are proposed and their feasibilities are verified using specially design test rigs. The first application is related to creating long lasting electric contacts. The result shows that the Cu-SWCNT nanocomposite is highly wear-resistant. The contact area of the simulated electric contacts increases after repeated impact loading, which potentially could lower the contact resistance. The second application is to use the Cu-SWCNT implants as high strength spot weld for joining copper foils. A smaller weld with a higher strength reduces the power requirement of the laser and, consequently, the thermal distortion for higher-dimensional precision. The specially designed test rig for the weld strength characterization is a new contribution, providing a new testing capability for small and non-homogeneous samples not suitable for a standard tensile test machine.

In our previous studies, we have developed a wet process, denoted laser surface implanting (LSI), to synthesize a copper/single-walled carbon nanotube (Cu–SWCNT) metal nanocomposite as an implant onto the surface of a pure copper substrate. The nanostructure of this Cu–SWCNT composite was confirmed independently by several methods, including transmission electron microscope (TEM) images, which show discernable SWCNT clusters in nano sizes inside the copper matrix. The hardness was measured by micro-hardness tests to indicate over three times hardness over that of pure copper could be achieved. In this paper, we present several unique ways to further characterize the mechanical properties of the Cu-SWCNT nanocomposite. Nano-hardness tests are first performed to confirm that hardness improvement, about three times that of pure copper, is achieved, consistent with the micro-hardness test results. A new toughness measurement based on focus ion beam (FIB) bombardment was performed to demonstrate 2.5 times toughness improvement. Finally, a new compression test rig was designed to conduct plane strain compression test for an array of Cu-SWCNT implants. The results confirmed that the Cu-SWCNT nanocomposite exhibits a stress-strain behavior consistent with the results of the hardness and FIB tests.