Retraction note: Enhanced tribology, thermal and electrical properties of Al-CNT composite processed via spark plasma sintering for transmission conductor (Journal of Materials Science, (2019), 54, 22, (14064-14073), 10.1007/s10853-019-03894-x)

The Editor-in-Chief has retracted this article. A number of image integrity issues were raised, specifically: Fig. 1a appears to overlap with Fig. 2a, and Fig. 1c appears to overlap with Fig. 2b in another paper by the same authors under consideration at the same time [1]. Three panels in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 appear to overlap, two of which represent different conditions. These images were also found to overlap with Fig. 3a, 3c and 3d of an article by the same authors under consideration at the same time [2]. The authors have indicated that the images in this paper would need to be replaced in order to rectify this. Fig. 2a was also found to overlap with Fig. 3b in [3] and Fig. 2a in [4] with contrast changes. Fig. 3a was found to overlap with overlap with panels in Fig. 3 of [2]. The spectra labels in Fig. 3 appear to have been edited. Highly unlikely repetitions in the data were found in Fig. 4. Concerns were raised regarding the proportionate sizes of the error bars in Fig. 8. Fig. 9a appears to overlap with 9b, representing different materials. Fig. 1a appears to overlap with Fig. 2a, and Fig. 1c appears to overlap with Fig. 2b in another paper by the same authors under consideration at the same time [1]. Three panels in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 appear to overlap, two of which represent different conditions. These images were also found to overlap with Fig. 3a, 3c and 3d of an article by the same authors under consideration at the same time [2]. The authors have indicated that the images in this paper would need to be replaced in order to rectify this. Fig. 2a was also found to overlap with Fig. 3b in [3] and Fig. 2a in [4] with contrast changes. Fig. 3a was found to overlap with overlap with panels in Fig. 3 of [2]. The spectra labels in Fig. 3 appear to have been edited. Highly unlikely repetitions in the data were found in Fig. 4. Concerns were raised regarding the proportionate sizes of the error bars in Fig. 8. Fig. 9a appears to overlap with 9b, representing different materials. The authors were unable to provide a sufficient response to these concerns. The Editor-in-Chief has lost confidence in the data and conclusions of this article. Author Chika Oliver Ujah disagrees with this retraction. All other authors did not respond to correspondence from the publisher regarding this retraction.