HIGHLY FUNCTIONAL COMPOSITE MATERIAL AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME

摘要

[PROBLEMS] To provide a novel highly functional composite material that permits use of inexpensive raw materials, exhibiting high toughness and low frictional coefficient and that excels in abrasion resistance performance, exhibiting low electrical resistance and excelling in electromagnetic wave absorption; and provide a process for producing the same. [MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] A highly functional composite material constituted of a sintered material comprising 0.1 to 90 mass% of carbon nanotubes (2) and 99.9 to 10 mass% of alumina-silica ceramic (3). The alumina-silica ceramic (3) contains 99.5 to 5 mass% of alumina and 0.5 to 95 mass% of silica. Nano-composite (1) composed of, intertwined together, nanocrystals of alumina-silica ceramic (3) and carbon nanotubes (2) provides a constituent. Raw material of alumina-silica ceramic (3) and carbon nanotubes (2) are placed in a solvent, such as water or an alcohol, and in slurry form mixed together for 3 to 180 min. The solvent is removed from the mixed materials, and sintering thereof is carried out in a nonoxidative atmosphere at temperature ranging from 800° to 1800°C over a period of 5 min to 5 hr.