Microstructural control of sintered mechanically alloyed Al-1%Ni material

Mechanically alloyed Al powder containing 1 wt% Ni was consolidated by a simple press-and-sinter method. Ni was employed as sintering aid and as aluminide former. Depending on the sintering conditions used (conventional one-step or novel two-step sintering), it is possible to obtain composite materials with very different microstructures and fracture behaviour.