Electroless Nickel Copper Metallization as a Reinforcing Approach for Sintered Aluminium Metal Matrix Composites

The aim of the paper is to study a creation of co-metallized Aluminium Metal Matrix Composites based on aluminium turnings as metal matrix, aluminium powder and carbon nanotubes. The AlMMC is composed of aluminium alloy (AlSi9Cu3) turnings, silicon carbide microparticles (SiCp) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) after electroless (Ni-Cu-P) metallization, sintered together in different combinations with aluminium alloy powder (AlSi10Mg). The obtained composite materials with electroless metallized components (Ni-Cu-P) were investigated performing analysis of the morphology, hardness and tribological tests. The properties of co-metalized metal-metal and metal-carbon nanotubes sintered aluminium matrix composites were analysed and compared.